On February 4, 2026, Representative Don Beyer (D-VA) introduced the National Urgent Recruitment for Skilled Employees (NURSE) Visa Act which aims at easing the nationwide nursing shortages by expanding access to work visas for internationally trained nurses. Beyer noted that ongoing staffing challenges across the health care system driven by retirements, lingering effects of the pandemic, and sustained demand for nursing professionals contribute to shortages that are fueling burnout and threatening access to timely, high-quality care.

This bill would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to make available 20,000 nonimmigrant visas per fiscal year for nurses employed in areas designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as experiencing a nursing workforce shortage. Eligibility would be tied not only to the shortage designation but also to facility-level requirements, including having a provider-to-patient staffing ratio policy in place. Rep. Beyer previously introduced the legislation in 2024.

For LeadingAge members, the NURSE Visa Act is notable as a legislative proposal focused on expanding legal immigration pathways specifically to address nursing shortages. LeadingAge supports the bill and will work with Rep. Beyer to seek bipartisan backing for this legislation.