The “Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act” was introduced in the House on May 8, 2020 and in the Senate (S.3599) on May 5, 2020 to help address the healthcare shortage in the United States which has become critical during the COVID-19 pandemic. If passed into law, it would cut waiting time for nurses and doctors with approved visa petitions. In summary, it will:
- Authorize the recapturing of 25,000 immigrant visas for provisional nurses and 15,000 immigrant visas for physicians.
- Visas will be issued according to priority dates regardless of the per country limitations
- The Department of States (through the U.S. Embassies) and the Department of Homeland Security (through the USCIS) to expedite the processing of their visas
This proposed legislation will allow nurses with approved immigrant visas and physicians with approved immigrant petitions to come to the United States and work in hospitals and medical facilities where there is a shortage of nurses or unfilled positions. This is the reason also why one of the provisions requires the petitioners of the approved petition must attest that in hiring the professional nurse a U.S. worker has not or will not be displaced.
