Bipartisan ‘Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act’ Aims to Ease Nurse, Doctor Shortages

U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), and Representative Brad Schneider (D-Illinois-10th District) recently introduced the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act, a bipartisan bill designed to ease growing shortages of doctors and nurses in the United States. The legislation proposes converting unused immigrant visas into green cards for thousands of skilled foreign-trained healthcare professionals already working in the U.S. on temporary visas.

History and Legislative Background

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act has a history dating back to 2020 during the COVID-19 public health emergency. It was initially introduced to quickly bolster the healthcare workforce by utilizing unused employment-based immigrant visas allocated by Congress but left unused since 1992. The bill sought to reallocate 25,000 such visas for nurses and 15,000 for physicians, allowing these professionals to obtain permanent residency.

Since then, multiple reintroductions have been made in subsequent legislative sessions, with bipartisan support and endorsements from major healthcare and medical groups. Despite its repeated introduction, the bill has not yet passed into law.

Timeline:

• May 2020: S.3599 introduced (116th Congress). 
• Mar 2021: S.1024 introduced (117th). 
• Nov 2023: S.3211 (Senate) and H.R.6205 (House) introduced (118th). Latest action: referred to Judiciary. 

What the Bill Covers

The key provision of the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act is a one-time recapture of up to 40,000 unused employment-based immigrant visas, divided as 25,000 for professional nurses and 15,000 for physicians. These visas are exempt from typical country-based caps and allow the healthcare workers and their families to obtain permanent residency status under conditions that safeguard U.S. worker protections.

The bill requires applicants to meet licensing requirements and pass thorough background checks. It aims to retain highly skilled international medical graduates already practicing in the U.S., providing critical stability and growth to healthcare staffing levels. Employers must attest these visas will not be used to displace an American worker.

Bill sponsor, Senator Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), said of the bill: "Highly trained immigrant doctors and nurses are a critical part of our workforce, and they provide valuable patient care at clinics and hospitals across North Dakota and throughout the country. In many cases, these clinicians provide the only specialty care that’s available in their community. Our bill recognizes this urgent need can be addressed in part at least through a realignment towards merit-based immigration."

Supporters and Opponents

The bill has garnered broad support from healthcare organizations including the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and various nursing and physician advocacy groups. These groups highlight the urgent physician shortage predicted to reach up to 86,000 by 2036 and the critical shortage of nurses impacting patient care nationally.

A coalition of 38 healthcare organizations signed a letter urging Congress to include the bill in an end-of-year legislative package, emphasizing that timely passage is essential to prevent worsening healthcare access disparities.

Some opposition arises from lawmakers and stakeholders concerned about immigration policy implications and potential impacts on domestic workforce wages and job availability. Critics argue for increased investment in U.S. healthcare education and training programs instead of relying on international professionals.

Why the Bill Has Struggled to Pass

Despite bipartisan sponsorship, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act has faced obstacles amid broader immigration policy debates and competing legislative priorities in Congress. The complexity of immigration law, concerns over visa allocation, and political divisions have slowed its progress.

Additionally, while the bill addresses visa reallocation, it does not solve underlying challenges such as graduate medical education funding or long-term expansion of nurse training programs, which some lawmakers view as necessary complementary solutions.

The bill's path forward may hinge on continued coalition advocacy and inclusion in broader healthcare or immigration packages that attract wider congressional support.

As nursing and physician shortages continue to strain healthcare systems nationwide, the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act stands as a crucial, bipartisan effort to strengthen our workforce by streamlining immigration pathways for skilled foreign-trained professionals already committed to serving American communities. While the bill has yet to become law, it represents an important step toward addressing staffing shortfalls that directly impact patient care and nurse workloads.

Nurse.org will continue updating this article as the legislation proceeds.

 

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