The Careworker Visa Act of 2026 establishes a new W nonimmigrant visa category to address the significant and growing shortage of qualified careworkers in the United States. This visa is specifically for individuals providing childcare, eldercare, and in-home or community-level personal support for individuals with disabilities . Congress finds that this shortage impacts economic growth and that formalizing these employment relationships will ensure wage protections and reliable care. To participate, employers must be certified by the Department of Labor and meet specific criteria, including being an individual/family or a small caregiving business with fewer than 25 employees. Employers must attest to paying prevailing wages , provide job offers, and demonstrate the ability to pay the careworker's salary. The bill explicitly excludes employers with histories of serious labor violations, human trafficking, or misrepresentation. Eligible careworkers must have a qualifying job offer, pass background checks, and be admissible to the U.S., with provisions for waivers of certain inadmissibility grounds. The program sets an annual limit of 100,000 W nonimmigrant visas , with an initial validity of three years, renewable in three-year increments. It also establishes a process for W nonimmigrants to adjust their status to lawful permanent resident, including for certain individuals already present in the U.S. without lawful status or under specific programs like DACA. The legislation includes robust protections for W nonimmigrants, making it unlawful for employers to retaliate against workers for exercising their rights or reporting violations. The Department of Labor is tasked with certifying prevailing wages, investigating complaints, and providing information on workplace rights in multiple languages. Additionally, the bill mandates annual reports to Congress on the program's implementation, including visa numbers and complaint dispositions.