The United States has long struggled with nursing workforce shortages, which were further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a Health Workforce Analysis published by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in March, federal authorities project a shortage of 350,540 full-time registered nurses in 2026 and a shortage of 358,170 full-time RNs in 2031.
The National Urgent Recruitment for Skilled Employees (NURSE) Visa Act would address the nationwide nursing shortage by making visas available to foreign nurses working in areas where the HRSA has determined there is a nursing workforce shortage.
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia introduced the legislation today.
“Nurses are the backbone of our nation’s health care system – they deliver lifesaving, quality care despite unprecedented challenges. As our health care system grapples with an increasing number of retiring nurses and high demand for skilled nursing professionals, we are approaching a critical tipping point where acute nurse staffing shortages are driving burnout leading to a compounding cycle,” Beyer said. “My bill, the NURSE Visa Act, would bolster the nursing workforce by allowing qualified foreign nurses to fill these gaps and ensuring that hospitals and clinics remain adequately staffed to maintain the high standards of care that Americans expect and deserve.”
The NURSE Visa Act would create 20,000 nonimmigrant visas per fiscal year to employ nurses in areas where the HRSA has determined a nursing workforce shortage exists and where the facility has a provider-to-patient staffing ratio in place.
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Rebecca Barnabi
