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AHA today expressed concern that legislation to eliminate the per-country cap for employment-based immigrant visas (H.R.3648) could severely limit the future ability of foreign-trained nurses to obtain immigrant visas.

“We believe this legislation would negatively impact nurse immigration, and thereby adversely affect the ability of America’s hospitals and health systems to provide care in communities across the country,” AHA said in a letter to House leaders. “…The solution to addressing the backlog in employment-based visas is not to eliminate the per-country cap, but rather to acknowledge there are not enough immigrant visas overall to meet the demand for foreign-born, highly-skilled workers for all sectors in the United States.”

The bill was considered by the House Rules Committee this afternoon and may be added to the House floor schedule before the end of this year’s legislative session.