Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act aims to strengthen the United States' nurse and physician workforce by making available a pool of previously unused employment-based immigrant visas. This legislation authorizes an increase in the number of employment-based visas by recapturing the difference between those made available and those actually used from fiscal years 1992 through 2024. A maximum of 40,000 recaptured visas are designated for employment-based immigrants, with specific reservations: 25,000 for professional nurses and 15,000 for physicians . These visas are exempt from per-country numerical limitations and will be issued based on the priority date of the petition, provided the petitions were filed within three years of the Act's enactment. They are available only if visas are not otherwise immediately accessible to the individuals, and accompanying family members also receive visas from this pool without counting against the 40,000 limit. The bill mandates expedited processing for these healthcare professionals, including premium processing for petitions without a fee from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and accelerated handling by the Department of State. For nurses, petitioners must attest that hiring the foreign worker has not and will not displace a U.S. worker.