LAME DUCK CONGRESS COMES UP LAME FOR H-1B AND IMMIGRANT VISA/ RETROGRESSION RELIEF 12/11/06
The 109th Congressional session has concluded without enacting legislation to increase H-1B or employment-based immigrant visas. Successful immigration related legislation included:
- An extension of the Conrad 30 program providing J-1 waivers for physicians
- A “re-authorization” of the H-1C category
- Legislation authorizing P visa eligibility for certain athletes rather than the current problematic H-2B visa category
Efforts by Senators Cornyn and Hutchinson to increase H-1B visas and immigrant visas for nurses (respectively) were unsuccessful. Accordingly, U.S. employers will remain unable to obtain new H-1B workers until October 2007. Additionally, foreign nationals in the green card process will continue to face lengthy delays in obtaining immigrant visas. Most notably, U.S. hospitals and other healthcare facilities recruiting foreign Registered Nurses and Physical Therapists remain temporarily unable to obtain immigrant visas unless or until Congress authorizes additional immigrant visas for Schedule A workers or eliminates Schedule A workers from the visa quota. Advocacy efforts continue.
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17 Responses to this article
this is a bad news for everybody. hope something good will happen early next year.
is there any measures could be done after this such as pushing some temporary relief?
Why don’t the hospitals urge their congressmen to act they being among one of the biggest contributors to the coffer of their respective states and show them additional calculations of more taxes to earn from the time these nurses and pt’s arrive in the US to start employment? If the government has been laxed in its positon regarding the stay of millions of illegal immigrants who get employment and don’t even pay a single cent ot tax, yet enjoying the services of the gov’t, there should be more reason for the gov’t to expedite the legitimate migration of workers such as nurses and pt’s.
I hope the congressmen and senators will be more rational in its approach to legislations.
so, what happens next? when will be the next possible date that retrogression can be expected to be lifted? considering that sessions will start on january?
according to this article, the retrogression might be lifted on october next year. I dont think this is fair for everybody. The congress must do something to expedite the allocation of visas or just give us a temporary relief. In a way, not only us can benefit them, but america itself.
Oct.2007 is for H1B ONLY, not for RNs or PTs. The time could come earlier for RNs and PTs. Probably before the summer.
so i saw the H-iC is fine. could nurse with bachelor degree to go there on H-1C visa?
it is strange that they dont give nurses work visa like other countries.
anyway, nurse is not the only one who suffers from the retrogression, the hospital and the american public as well.
hope things can be changed ASAP.
carry on, nurses
Any nurse can get a H1C visa, even those without a bachelor’s degree. But H1C holders can only work for 14 hospitals determined to be RN understaffed. And H1C can only last for 3 years and is not renewable. H1C is a work visa not a green card. So it does not help much at all.
bad news…seems to me that US congress doesnt really have its priorities in order…legitimate workers which ironically, the US badly needs should be given priority..to ensure the safety of american health consumers…well, i hope not one congressman or any of their familes get sick soon..or else they’re bound to experiance for themselves firsthand the effects of nurses shortage in the US
Congress should instead focus its priority on the current nursing shortage america is facing right now and in the next 10 to 20 years.. healthcare institutions should embark a full disclosure about the current hospital situation. Time is of the essence, so please open your eyes and listen to the cry of the millions of the medically compromised patients who depends on the services of the nurses.
CONTINUATION…….AND PTS TOO
What might be will the essence of the comments posted here? Are some legislators reading these comments and take heed of the people’s woes? I think even if we shout at the top of our voices here, nothing gets done really.
there’s no solution for it? what if those applying for the said visas will focus on to other countries
To all nurses,PTs,and family members affected by the retro, dont lose hope.
US hospitals would not have hired and petitioned you if the US does not badly need your profession and demand for you keeps on rising as supply is being shut off.Relief would come next year.
I for one including my children ran out of visa and got stuck while my nurse wife is already there.But I am confident we will be with her before next Christmas comes.Just hang on.
Don’t they realize that the economy depends on the health of the people and their stay in their positions depend on how they handle matters of importance to the people? What can happen due to the lack of health care workers can deeply impact the future of a country.
I wanna hear from the lawyers themselves, if at all possible.. What are really the chances for foreign nurses and physical therapist. When is this relief coming, based on the latest news you’ve gathered? I am a physical therapist and i already have an approved i-140 petition. too bad, my priority date is dec. 2005, and schedule a visas just ran out. My petition was approved last august 2006, but unfortunately didn’t make it because of this retrogression. please help us, I’m so desperate.
let us continue to wait and hope. However.I am very concerned that nurses are not well represented at the congress level. What is the rational for an abrupt decision of this type?