The USCIS should consider issuing a new policy memo to modernize and liberalize the approvability of H-1B visas for registered nurses. The current guidance—based on a 2015 memo from the Obama administration—is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of the U.S. healthcare workforce.
The U.S. Faces a Critical
Nursing Shortage
Nursing remains one of the
most understaffed professions in the United States. This shortage is driven by
several key factors:
- An aging population that is increasing demand for healthcare services.
- A large number of nurses retiring from an aging workforce.
- Bottlenecks in nursing education due to faculty shortages and limited training capacity.
To address this crisis,
allowing more foreign-trained nurses into the U.S. through H-1B visas could
provide much-needed relief.
Why H-1B Approval for Nurses
Makes Sense Now
Historically, USCIS has been
reluctant to approve H-1B petitions for registered nurses because bedside
nursing roles did not universally require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing
(BSN). However, that landscape has changed significantly.
According
to a recent study by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
(AACN), 72% of registered nurses in the U.S. now hold at least a BSN. (Source)
Given this shift, the USCIS
should revise its policy to instruct officers to generally approve H-1B
petitions for RN positions requiring a BSN.
No Risk of Job Offshoring
Some critics of the H-1B
program argue that it can lead to offshoring of American jobs—especially in the
IT sector. That concern does not apply to nursing. RN positions are inherently
in-person and cannot be outsourced. A nurse must be physically present to care
for patients. The real choice facing U.S. patients is not between a U.S. nurse
and an international one—it is between having a nurse or going without care.
