Legislation could negatively impact nurse immigration

Legislation before the U.S. Congress could negatively impact nurse immigration from many countries, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA). S.386 and H.R.1044, the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, would eliminate the per-country cap for immigrant visas. In a letter to the U.S. Senate last week expressing its members’ concerns, the AHA wrote that this change would have dramatic consequences, “including eliminating the future ability of foreign-trained nurses to obtain visas for five to seven years or more.” Foreign-trained nurses make up roughly 5% of the newly licensed nurse workforce each year and fill a critical staffing need in inner city and rural hospitals. If Congress decides to move ahead with the legislation, the AHA requested that lawmakers amend the law to create “a carve-out from visa caps for a reasonable number of immigrant nurses each year.” (AHA letter, 9/19/19)