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The US nursing shortage and why it’s an opportunity

The US nursing shortage and why it’s an opportunity
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The United States is in an undesirable place: it is facing a severe nursing shortage. 

There are currently over 1 million vacant nursing positions in the country, expected to worsen in the coming years, as the population ages and the demand for healthcare services increases.

A growing population, burnout among nurses, and the lack of diversity are contributing the shortage. But however big this crisis for the country may be, the bigger it is an opportunity for immigrants, as argued in this piece.

How Immigration Can Help

There are many reasons why immigration can help to address the nursing shortage in the United States. 

  1. Immigrants are more likely to be nurses than native-born Americans. In fact, immigrants make up about 16% of the nursing workforce, even though they make up only 13% of the US population.
  2. Immigrant nurses bring a number of benefits to the US healthcare system. They are more likely to work in underserved areas, and they are more likely to be bilingual. They also bring new perspectives and ideas to the healthcare field.

How can aspiring permanent residents take advantage of this?

If you are an aspiring permanent resident and you are interested in a career in nursing, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of success.

  • Get certified: Make sure you are certified as a nurse in your home country. This will make it easier to get a nursing job in the United States.
  • Learn English: English is the language of healthcare in the United States. Make sure you are fluent in English before you apply for a nursing job.
  • Network: Get to know people in the nursing field. This will help you find job opportunities and learn more about the nursing profession.
  • Be patient: It may take some time to find a nursing job in the United States. Be patient and persistent, and you will eventually find a job that is a good fit for you.

The nursing shortage is a serious problem in the United States. 

However, immigration can help to address this problem. 

If you need help and guidance on becoming a permanent resident, reach out to a trusted immigration lawyer.

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A surplus of work-based visas ends 2022

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The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reached the maximum number of people who can get employment-based visas for 2022.

Earlier this month, the USCIS announced that over 70,000 visas were left to be allocated before the end of the fiscal year, which is on September 30, 2022.

By the end of the month, the USCIS announced that almost all of these visas have reached their limits and new applicants should come back for the next fiscal year.

Why is there a surplus of visas at the end of the year?

This is because the USCIS and the Department of State (DOS) publicly committed to maximizing all employment-based visas for 2022. 

The USCIS even encouraged immigrants to apply earlier this year.

This is in keeping with the Biden administration’s thrust towards giving immigrants more opportunities to stay in the United States all while letting them contribute to the country through their work.

Will the USCIS and DOS do the same for the next year?

For immigration advice for fiscal year 2023, consult with your trusted lawyer.

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DHS Proposing new employment based immigration regulations

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The Department of Homeland Security [DHS] is offering rule that would modernize and improve certain aspects of employment based immigration visa programs. People with temporary work visas waiting for a green card are the one who is going to get more benefits because of these projected changes. The DHS says that the projected changes are ‘envisioned to better expedite US employers to recruit and maintain extremely accompanied workers who have profited from employment-based immigration visa petitions, while growing the skill of such workers to progress their careers by accepting raises, changing positions with present employers, changing employers, and trailing other employment opportunities.

Many of the projected changes will actually have no practical effect of any kind, according to the National Law Review – an online news source published by a group of in-house attorneys. The National Law Review states that even the most noteworthy change of them all, relating to work authorization for certain individuals with approved I-140s, will have very little effect basically.

Highlights:

 

  1. The extension of an H-1B visa can be obtained beyond the maximum six-year stay.
  2. When an H-1B non-immigrant can shift jobs or employers without it affecting his or her permitted immigrant visa petition.
  3. How to calculate H-1B recapture time [days outside the US that do not count towards the maximum six-year stay].
  4. Those businesses that qualify as H-1B ‘cap-exempt’ employers. This is important as in recent years the H-1B visa quota is immensely oversubscribed within a few days of the quota becoming available at the opening of April each year.
  5. Offering a one-time 60-day grace period, during an authorized validity period, for individuals in E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, L-1, or TN status, where employment ends due to voluntary or involuntary termination or lay off. These individuals are not authorized to work during the grace period.
  6. An addition of the 10-day grace period allowed prior to and after H-1B status to also include persons in E-1, E-2, E-3 or L-1 status. During the 10-day grace period, you will not be permitted to work. On a one time basis, you also benefit from 60 day grace period, if you are on this employment related visas.
  7. Permitting issuance of one-year Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) for individuals in E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1 or O-1 status with an approved I-140 and no available visa numbers if the individual can show compelling circumstances. It is not certain what is meant by convincing circumstances; DHS includes examples, such as serious ailment and disabilities. If you work with an EAD in these circumstances then it will be considered to be the case that you are no longer on a non-immigrant work visa and when visa numbers are available will need to apply for an immigrant visa from outside the US. If you have an EAD your spouse and children may also be able to apply for an EAD. Renewals are allowed in certain circumstances.
  8. Removing the 90-day processing time required by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for Employment Authorization Documents (EADs), spontaneously extending most EADs 180 days beyond the expiration if the extension was timely filed.

It is worthwhile to note that the DHS proposal does include other regulatory amendments. However, these additional changes largely conform to current policy guidance, and so the primary purpose of the regulations in these additional areas is to formalize the existing guidance.