NURSE Visa Act of 2026
House Bill Would Boost Nurse Visas From 500 to 20,000 to Fill Healthcare Shortages
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill would significantly increase the number of work visas available for international nurses from 500 to 20,000 per year. The goal is to help fill thousands of empty nursing jobs in hospitals and clinics across the country.
- These nurses would be required to work in "shortage areas," which are specific communities that the government has identified as not having enough medical professionals to care for the local population.
- To hire these international nurses, hospitals and clinics must have a policy that sets a limit on how many patients one nurse can look after at a time. This is meant to ensure that both the nurses and the patients stay safe and receive proper care.
- The plan removes old limits that restricted how many visas could be used in each state. This change allows nurses to move to the specific towns or cities where the staffing crisis is the worst, regardless of which state they are in.
- If this becomes law, government agencies will have one year to create the official rules and start the program. This could provide much-needed relief to rural hospitals and busy city clinics facing high levels of staff burnout.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Nursing unions may have mixed feelings about this bill. On one hand, the staffing ratio requirement is something many nursing unions have long advocated for, and more nurses could reduce dangerous workloads. On the other hand, some union members may worry that a large influx of international nurses could put downward pressure on wages or reduce bargaining power, particularly in areas where nursing jobs are already competitive.
Programs
Disabilities
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles2 federal bills tackle nurse shortages
The National Urgent Recruitment for Skilled Employees (NURSE) Visa Act, introduced by Rep. Don Beyer, would create 20,000 nonimmigrant visas per fiscal year for nurses in shortage areas. Facilities must maintain a provider-to-patient staffing ratio to participate.
Addressing the nursing staffing crisis: Current challenges and strategies for the future
Rep. Don Beyer's NURSE Visa Act aims to mitigate the nationwide nursing shortage by providing 20,000 annual visas for foreign nurses. The bill requires these professionals to work in HRSA-designated shortage areas and mandates that employers implement safe staffing ratio policies.
Beyer introduces bill to bring 20,000 foreign nurses to U.S. shortage areas
Virginia Rep. Don Beyer introduced the NURSE Visa Act to address a projected shortage of over 260,000 nurses. The bill would increase the cap on specialized nursing visas from 500 to 20,000, provided the nurses work in underserved regions and hospitals adhere to strict staffing ratio standards.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
NURSE Visa Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.