Thousands of foreign doctors can get green cards: a new bill in Congress

Several U.S. lawmakers have submitted a bill to Congress to grant green cards, or permanent resident status, to thousands of foreign doctors and nurses in the United States to meet the urgent needs of an overloaded US healthcare sector. The Economic Times.

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The Health Workforce Sustainability Act will allow for the restoration of green cards that have been approved by Congress but not issued in recent years, enabling tens of thousands of additional health workers to work in the United States on an ongoing basis.

According to the law, during the COVID-19 pandemic, green cards will be sent to 25 thousand nurses and 15 thousand doctors, and in places like Iowa, there are specialists that America needs for many years, a press release said.

The move will likely benefit the large number of foreign nurses and doctors receiving H-1B or J2 visas. The H-1B visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers in occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

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Legislators Abby Finkenauer, Brad Schneider, Tom Cole and Don Bacon filed a bill in the House of Representatives. The Senate bipartisan related bill is led by Senators David Purdue, Dick Durbin, Todd Young and Chris Koons.

“We must all hands on deck to confront this generational crisis,” said Congresswoman Finkenauer. “We know this virus won't magically go away, and experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci are warning of a second wave this fall. Rural areas, which make up the majority of my district, remain particularly vulnerable and are already experiencing shortages of health care workers.”

The act is approved by organizations such as the American Medical Association, the Board of Health Care Executives, the United States Chamber of Commerce, the American Association of International Personnel Services, the American Hospital Association, the American Nursing Leadership Organization, the Center for Bipartisan Politics, and others.

“Doctors fighting COVID-19 want to hear these words: reinforcements are on the way. Receiving 15 immigrant visas through the Health Workforce Sustainability Act will ease the burden on frontline doctors who are risking their lives in understaffed hospitals,” said Patrice Harris, president of the American Medical Association.

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The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Nursing Leadership Organization (AONL) have stated that there has never been a more urgent need for medical care from foreign doctors and nurses than during the current COVID-19 pandemic. According to them, these specialists play a decisive role in ensuring the health of US residents.

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