Senators Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) reintroduced the bipartisan Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act on September 10. This legislation is a pragmatic and urgently needed solution to address the growing health care workforce crisis—particularly in aging services and long-term care. The bill proposes to recapture up to 40,000 previously authorized but unused immigrant visas—25,000 for nurses and 15,000 for physicians—without increasing the overall number of visas. These visas would be made available to highly trained international medical professionals who are already working in the U.S. and meet licensing, security, and employment criteria. It provides a merit-based pathway for immigrant nurses and physicians stuck in green card backlogs. LeadingAge has long supported this legislation and its previous iterations, recognizing its potential to stabilize the aging services workforce and ensure access to care for older adults. In past advocacy efforts, we’ve urged Congress to act swiftly on this bill, emphasizing the critical need for skilled professionals in our sector. We continue to advocate for its passage and encourage members to do the same.
