I am the proud son of Mexican immigrants who came to this country with big dreams, an unshakable work ethic and faith that America rewards those who give it their all.
To this day, I have carried this belief through my own journey in public service and see it reflected every day in immigrants whose dedication powers our hospitals, classrooms and small businesses.
As the popular song in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” states: “Immigrants. We get the job done.”
This fall, Illinois took a bold step forward to make those words real, not as a slogan but as state policy.
Last month, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a groundbreaking pathway allowing international medical graduates — physicians trained abroad — to practice medicine in Illinois under structured supervision.
The program creates a tiered licensing process, beginning with the international medical graduate physician limited license, that permits supervised practice and requires successful completion of evaluations. After two years, physicians may qualify for a restricted license, allowing them to serve more independently in underserved areas and ultimately progress to full licensure.
Doctors in this pathway must meet national standards for medical care to ensure patient safety and maintain high-quality health care. This is more than good policy; it is an act of inclusion and common sense.
Across the nation, health care systems are straining under severe workforce shortages. The U.S. could face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Illinois alone is projected to face thousands of unfilled physician and nursing positions in the coming years. The shortage is most severe in rural areas and low-income urban neighborhoods, where patients wait months for appointments or travel to see a doctor.
As the former board chair of a federally qualified health center, I have seen what happens when communities lack access to care. Waiting rooms overflow. Preventable disease worsens. Dedicated physicians are stretched thin.
The solution cannot be rhetoric. It must be action. And this new pathway represents just that.
Meanwhile, highly trained physicians from abroad — professionals who have spent years healing patients — are living in the U.S., unable to practice because of structural hurdles in our country’s licensing process. Their skills go unused while communities go underserved.
Illinois has chosen to bridge that gap through a responsible, transparent process that maintains public safety while unlocking talent already here.
Immigrants are the solution
The national conversation about immigrants has grown increasingly divisive. Too often, immigrants are portrayed as burdens rather than contributors. Yet they make up a vital part of the health care workforce, serving as doctors, nurses and caregivers in our most critical moments. During the pandemic, immigrant medical professionals stood on the front lines, risking their lives to save others.
Illinois’ new pathway recognizes this reality. It ensures that international physicians can continue their calling where they are needed most — on the front lines of care. Talent is global, and here in Illinois, we empower everyone to use that talent to strengthen our people, our communities and our state.
Representation in health care matters. When patients see professionals who speak their languages, share their cultures or understand their lived experiences, trust grows and so do positive outcomes. Internationally trained physicians bring more than technical skill; they bring empathy shaped by migration, resilience born from challenge and a cultural fluency that makes care more inclusive.
For communities long overlooked by our health care system, that representation can be life-changing.
Illinois has long been a national leader in recognizing the dignity and potential of immigrant communities. In 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation prohibiting state agencies from denying occupational or professional license applications solely based on immigrant status. This new initiative builds on that tradition, showing inclusion and excellence go hand in hand.
The pathway includes rigorous oversight, staged licensing and clear guardrails to ensure patient safety. But safety and opportunity aren’t opposites. They are partners in good policy.
As someone whose parents came here with hope in their hearts and work in their hands, I know what it means to be given a chance. When people are given the opportunity to contribute, they do so tenfold. That’s the story of my family and of America at its best.
Immigrants don’t weaken our systems, they strengthen them. They don’t diminish this country’s promise; they are proof that it endures.
Illinois’ new pathway for international physicians proves once again: Immigrants get the job done.
Mario Treto Jr. is secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.