US nursing visas hit their annual limit with industry groups calling for Congress intervention

In its July Visa Bulletin, the State Department announced that almost all green card places for which skilled workers and nurses are eligible had reached full capacity for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends on 30 September.

Only those who applied before 1 December 2021 will be permitted to continue with visa interviews, regardless of whether an applicant has been offered a job in the US.

The move, which also affects foreign nurse applicants, was taken due to the high request and number of uses in this scheme, VisaGuide.World reports.

The American Association of International Healthcare Recruitment (AAIHR) observed that the State Department’s announcement came in quick succession after the Biden administration finalised a nursing home staffing rule that will depend on over 20,000 new registered nurse hires in the years to come.

Health groups have warned of the strain this could cause for hospitals, nursing homes and other key health employers by creating extensive waiting periods for nurses to obtain their visas for working in the US.

“We’re reaching a dangerous inflection point where acute nurse staffing shortages feed burnout in a force-multiplying cycle that grows worse every day,” Patty Jeffrey, President of the AAIHR, said in a statement. “Until we can correct capacity issues that force nursing schools to reject thousands of qualified applicants annually, international nurses will remain essential to safe nurse staffing. This latest visa freeze halts the flow of qualified international nurses when American hospitals need them most, and the only way to correct it is through congressional action.”

Megan Cundari, Senior Director of Federal Relations for the American Hospital Association, said in a release from the Healthcare Workforce Coalition: “Foreign-trained nurses and doctors play critical roles in providing support for our hospitals and health systems … While we must invest in developing our domestic health care workforce, the [Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act] would help ease current shortages so we can continue to serve our patients and communities.”

With high demand expected to continue, the State Department said there is a likelihood that either the category will remain “Unavailable” into August, or the final action date will be further delayed.

Recent data from the World Health Organization shows overwhelming healthcare shortages across Europe.