Following the California Dental Association’s July 2026 town hall meeting on dental student visa experiences, a CDA-led coalition of national organizations has submitted a letter to the Department of Homeland Security that advocates for dentistry to be added to the STEM-designated degree list. In California alone, nearly 150 international students graduate from dental school programs. STEM designation would extend Optional Practical Training (OPT) from 12 to 36 months, giving graduates more time to find an employer willing to sponsor a work visa rather than having to leave the U.S. after one year.
Insights from CDA’s STEM Visa Town Hall
While visa challenges for international dental students and recent graduates have been an issue for decades, new and proposed policies are creating significant hurdles to practicing and obtaining lawful status in the U.S. CDA has long advocated for equity and access in healthcare, informed by dental students’ and dentists’ experiences obtaining visas and the realities they face in school, post-graduate residencies and their careers. At the town hall this past July, CDA heard additional insights on how extending the STEM OPT status could change outcomes for the profession.
The value of dentistry as a STEM-designated profession
Under current federal immigration rules, most international dental graduates on student visas are limited to 12 months of Optional Practical Training after degree completion. This temporary work permit allows them stay in the U.S. and work in their field after graduation. In practice, dental graduates use OPT to gain clinical experience and obtain an employer to sponsor their longer-term H-1B work visa.
If dentistry were designated as a STEM field, those graduates could qualify for a 24-month OPT extension, allowing up to three years of work authorization before needing an H-1B visa. That additional time could make it easier for employers to evaluate candidates and navigate sponsorship logistics; however, the employer and visa applicant would still need to navigate the visa selection process within a longer timeframe. For many dentist employers, these financial and administrative requirements create a deterrent to sponsoring international graduates even when there is a workforce need. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and large practices are common types of employers that take on this process.
Dr. Luis Acosta, UCLA class of 2026 graduate and international student representative to CDA, emphasizes the impact on providers and patients. “This is one more way CDA is supporting diverse dentist employers and employees,” says Dr. Acosta. “With the green card employer sponsorship application requiring a minimum of two years, having STEM OPT increases access to care for patients by ensuring provider continuity and reduces employer burdens.”
The call for STEM designation
Nearly one-fifth of all dental graduates needing an H-1B visa are trained in California. STEM eligibility is determined through the Department of Homeland Security’s Classification of Instructional Programs list. On November 9, 2026, CDA led a coalition of national organizations in sending a letter to the Department of Homeland Security advocating for dentistry to be added to the STEM-designated degree list. The American Dental Association, American Dental Education Association, American Student Dental Association, National Network for Oral Health Access and American Public Health Association are aligned in calling for this long overdue designation. This designation would meaningfully and practically improve the dentist workforce in alignment with the national interest in oral and overall health, especially that of people in rural and remote communities.
Dr. Mohita Sharma, a panelist for CDA’s Town Hall for STEM Visa, shares, “At its core, dentistry falls within the STEM discipline definition because our practice inherently applies engineering principles in materials science, biomechanics and prosthodontics while demanding mathematical precision in pharmacology and complex treatment planning. Having visa pathways that mirror our unique skills as practitioners will address the workforce shortages in critical sectors in rural and underserved communities of national concern. I am thankful to CDA for centering our experiences and leading this action to support dentists across the country.”
How the H-1B Visa lottery works
For years, the H-1B lottery ensured that every registered applicant had roughly the same odds of securing a visa. That changes when a new rule took effect in February 2026, replacing the random lottery with a wage-weighted selection system. The idea is to prioritize higher-paid, higher-skilled workers. In practice, it cuts the odds dramatically for entry-level applicants. Under the previous system, everyone had the same odds of selection. Under the new system, international dental graduates may have a significantly reduced chance in the H-1B lottery.
Proposed H-1B Visa fees
In September 2025, the Trump administration issued a presidential proclamation requiring employers to pay $100,000 for certain new H-1B petitions. A federal court blocked this requirement in June 2026, and an appeals court refused to put it back in place while the case continues. The administration nevertheless renewed the order in September 2026. In that same month, CDA sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security about a separate proposal that would add a $103,265 fee on every new H-1B cap-subject petition. Certain employers, including universities and nonprofit research organizations would be exempt, but many safety-net employers would not be, such as federally qualified health centers and other types of community clinics. These dental settings already experience difficulty recruiting dentists, especially in rural and remote areas where they often serve as the only point of care that would otherwise fall to hospital emergency rooms. Combined with the wage-weighted selection process and this fee, this rule would make it functionally impossible for safety-net dental employers to sponsor H-1B dentists. CDA remains deeply concerned that this fee, layered on top of the other proposed H-1B changes, would disproportionately harm dentists serving in FQHCs and would worsen access to dental care for vulnerable populations.
Continued advocacy efforts
CDA continues to engage with dental students, educators and professionals to advocate for fewer barriers to practice. Keep connected to CDA’s advocacy efforts and ways to get involved in federal initiatives that impact dentistry and by signing up for member text alerts.