Bismarck, North Dakota, USA: A new bipartisan proposal aims to expand the availability of immigrant visas for doctors and nurses in the United States, addressing a growing workforce shortage across the country.
On September 10, Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), and Representative Brad Schneider (D-Illinois) introduced the Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act. The measure would make use of thousands of previously authorized but unused immigrant visas to bring in healthcare professionals.
According to the lawmakers, the legislation would reassign 25,000 visas for nurses and 15,000 for physicians, helping hospitals facing severe staffing challenges, especially in rural and underserved communities.
“Immigrant healthcare workers have always been essential to our medical system, and they stood with us during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Senator Durbin. “It’s wrong that so many trained doctors and nurses already serving U.S. patients are stuck in the green card backlog while our nation struggles with shortages.”
Senator Cramer highlighted that the proposal moves toward a “merit-based immigration” model. “Immigrant nurses and physicians are vital members of our workforce, providing lifesaving care in hospitals and clinics across North Dakota and nationwide,” he said.
Representative Schneider emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the healthcare system. “The pandemic exposed just how devastating shortages of qualified healthcare workers can be — and we’re still experiencing that today,” he noted.
The initiative has received backing from major health organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Hospital Association (AHA), and the Healthcare Leadership Council. AMA President Dr. Bobby Mukkamala called the plan a “practical, bipartisan approach to easing the physician shortage.”
If approved, the bill would exempt the recaptured visas from per-country limits, permit family members to join, and require employers to demonstrate that U.S. workers would not be displaced. Candidates would still need to meet licensing standards, pay required fees, and undergo background checks.
The healthcare workforce shortage remains critical. The Association of American Medical Colleges predicts the U.S. could be short up to 124,000 physicians by 2034, while the AHA reports that over 610,000 nurses intend to leave the profession by 2027.
Dr. Ram Alur, President of Physicians for American Healthcare Access, praised the legislation for tackling green card backlogs that hinder international medical graduates. “This bill will give stability to doctors who are already embedded in their communities while ensuring patients in underserved regions continue receiving care,” he said.
Lawmakers noted that the U.S. shortage was magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when one in five healthcare workers left the field. Rural hospitals and medically underserved areas continue to feel the greatest strain.
