WASHINGTON— Today, U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (IL-10), Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), Don Bacon (NE-02), and Tom Cole (OK-04) led 27 colleagues in introducing the bipartisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act to enable skilled immigrant nurses and physicians to secure robust permanent legal status in the United States. This bill will help alleviate a U.S. healthcare sector facing nationwide workforce challenges after shepherding the country through the paradigm-shifting challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act designates 40,000 Congressionally authorized visas for foreign-born healthcare workers from pre-existing unused visas—15,000 for foreign-born physicians and 25,000 for foreign-born nurses. Applicants for visas would be subject to the same standards as all applicants for work-related visas. Individuals approved would be required to meet licensing requirements and pay filing fees. Applicants would be required to undergo national security and criminal history background checks, and employers would need to confirm that no American worker was displaced by the hiring of a foreign national.
“During the pandemic, our communities faced a critical shortage of qualified healthcare workers. Covid-19 was a wakeup call that our healthcare system must be resilient. To that end, this legislation would address workforce shortages, ensuring that our hospitals are sufficiently staffed to provide Americans the best healthcare possible. I am proud to reintroduce this legislation so that more qualified nurses and doctors can serve our communities,” said Congressman Schneider.
“America is facing a healthcare workforce crisis right now. The national physician and nurse shortage means Colorado families are waiting longer for essential medical services, from routine check-ups to major surgeries. Meanwhile, bureaucratic delays keep thousands of qualified doctors and nurses stuck overseas instead of coming here to fill this critical gap,” said Congresswoman Caraveo. “I’m proud of this bipartisan bill, which will connect approved medical professionals and their families with existing green card vacancies, helping alleviate the healthcare shortage and ensuring the United States continues to attract the best medical professionals from around the world.”
“This common-sense legislation will allow those healthcare workers who are legally here to continue to serve our communities when they are needed most during this pandemic,” said Congressman Bacon. “I’m thankful to join my colleagues in introducing this bipartisan legislation that will simply reallocate already authorized visas, that are not being used.”
"Considering that Oklahoma has the third largest shortage of primary care doctors in the nation and a shortage of nurses well above the national average, there is clearly a need for solutions to strengthen our health care workforce and increase the capacity for delivering critical care," said Congressman Cole. "As we continue to strengthen statewide healthcare infrastructure to meet the needs of every Oklahoman, it is vital that steps are taken to ensure all communities, including rural areas, are well equipped and ready to address their pressing health care needs. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this important legislation."
The following organizations endorse the legislation: American Medical Association (AMA), American Hospital Association (AHA), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), American Academy of Neurology, American College of Rheumatology, American Geriatrics Society, American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL), American Society of Hematology, Physicians for American Healthcare Access, American Academy of Pediatrics, National Rural Health Association, Society of Hospital Medicine, Federation of American Hospitals, American College of Physicians, Ascension Catholic Health Association of the U.S., Healthcare Leadership Council, National Kidney Foundation, Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Immigration Lawyers Association, FWD.us, National Immigration Forum, Bipartisan Policy Center, and American Business Immigration Coalition.
"Smart, targeted reforms remain a cornerstone of the overarching effort to ensure every American, especially those in rural and underserved communities, can see a physician and access high quality care. To that end, the American Medical Association enthusiastically supports The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act. Recapturing up to 15,000 unused employment-based physician immigrant visas over a three-year period is a common-sense approach to addressing the physician shortage as well as diversifying the workforce. The AMA appreciates that the legislation would exempt unused visas from the traditional per country cap, permits family members of the physician recipient to also receive unused visas, and requires physician practices to attest that these visa recipients will not displace any U.S. physicians. Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), as well as Reps. Brad Schneider (D-IL), Tom Cole (R-OK), Don Bacon (R-NE), and Yadira Caraveo, M.D. (D-CO), commendably propose maneuvering policy levers within the existing program so their constituents will continue to be able to access care,” said AMA President Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, M.D., MPH
“We thank Representatives Schneider, Cole, Bacon, and Caraveo for reintroducing the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, which comes at a critical time for nursing homes and other long term care facilities. As we face a growing elderly population yet a shortage of health care workers, creating more opportunities for international nurses to immigrate to the U.S. will help strengthen our long term care workforce and protect access to care. These are dedicated nurses who want to serve America’s seniors, and they and their families should be welcomed with open arms,” said Clif Porter, Senior Vice President of Government Relations at the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL)