If you are an American employer requesting a national interest waiver on behalf of a qualified alien physician or you are an alien physician petitioning for yourself in the second preference classification, the petitioner is relieved from the labor certification process. The criteria for a National Interest Waiver include:

► Seeking employment in an area of substantial intrinsic merit;

► The benefit will be national in scope; and

► The national interest would be adversely affected if a labor certification were required
    for the foreign national.  Some or all of the following criteria may be used to meet the
    requirements of “national interest”:

► Improving the U.S. economy;

► Improving wages and working conditions for U.S. workers;

► Improving education and training programs for under-qualified workers and U.S.
    children;

► Improving health care;

► Providing more affordable housing;

► Improving the environment of the United States and making more productive use of
    natural resources; or

► A request from an interested U.S. government agency, such as a
    VA (Veterans Affairs) Hospital.