A bipartisan effort to expedite the recapture of 25,000 already-issued, yet unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 for physicians is garnering support from hospital groups.
The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act was reintroduced Nov. 2 by U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois and U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota. The American Hospital Association and the American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment are two of several organizations that have also voiced support for the legislation.
"[T]here will be 193,100 openings for nurses in each of the next ten years. For physicians, there could be a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians by 2034 for both primary and specialty care," a Nov. 7 letter written by Stacey Hughes, executive vice president of the AHA reads. "One of the immediate strategies used to ease shortages in the health care work force is the use of immigrant workers. Foreign-trained nurses and doctors do not displace American employees. Instead, they play critical roles in providing support for our hospitals and the communities they serve."
If passed, the legislation would require employers of the internationally trained clinicians who receive recaptured work visas to verify that the addition of the employee was not replacing the role of an American employee within the company.
Eligible individuals would still be required to be in compliance with licensing requirements where they practice, pay processing fees and undergo intensive background checks.
"Over the years and during the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrant nurses and doctors have played a vital role in our health care system, and their contributions have undoubtedly saved countless lives," Mr. Durbin stated in a Nov. 2 news release. "It is unacceptable that thousands of trained, highly qualified doctors currently working in the U.S. on temporary visas are stuck in the green card backlog, putting their futures in jeopardy and limiting their ability to contribute to our health care shortages across the country."
The bill also promises to recapture visas for immediate family members of internationally trained nurses and physicians.