Today the House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 1933, a bill to reinstate an expired program that admits nonimmigrant nurses to work in “health professional shortage areas.” Originally known as the Nursing Relief for Disadvantaged Areas Act of 1999 (Public Law 106-95), the program provided an additional 500 nonimmigrant visas each fiscal year to aliens meeting certain requirements.
Although the program expired in 2009, H.R. 1933 would resurrect this program by allowing 300 visas to be issued to eligible foreign nurses each year for the next three years. At the end of this initial three-year time period, admitted nurses could extend their stay for an additional three-year period. Even if there were a 100 percent consensus of a labor shortage in the nursing industry, that doesn’t mean Congress should rush to create a new visa category. American industry feels entitled to instantly switch to foreign workers at the slightest sign of a possible labor shortage. Rather than playing into this false sense of entitlement, Congress should be devising policies to help them cultivate the next generation of American workers.
5 Comments
Yup, thats the good ol gov at “work”. Giving away our jobs, giving away our border security.Come one, come all. Free everything, just climb the fence (what fence?). Well just walk across, don’t worry, people will be there with water bottles in case you get thirsty . Hud will be there to provide housing, welfare checks and free medical info.Plus a free lawyer in case some stupid nasty citizen objects. Viva America!
Why would we want to bring foreign nurses to the U.S. when we have nurses here that can’t find jobs? We have hospitals laying off nurses left and right and we want to increase that number by bring in foreign nurses? This is totally insane! Stop bringing in foreigners to work and give the U.S. citizens a break for a change. With all the Medicare cuts ( and I expect more with the new bill passage) we will be lucky to have a job in nursing.
It is good to know that this will be happening soon, we all know that USA really needs a nurse that are very much qualified and have the ability to work at their BEST. Foreign nurses are better in taking care of patients. You should be kind and nice to welcome foreign nurse to work in your country Emily. Be nice to us! what do you want others to come here illegal or to work here with working visa and legal?
We have to retrain every foreign nurse we get, that takes to much time and money . Practice in your own country. CLOSE OUR BORDERS
Its part of the hospital to under go training for every new employee. even nurse who graduate here and those citizen also needs training.