USCIS Should Update H-1B Policy for Nurses

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 The current guidance—based on a 2015 memo from the Obama administration—is outdated and no longer reflects the realities of the U.S. healthcare workforce.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.