Proposed Legislation Aimed to Ease Healthcare Staffing Shortages
New bills propose pathways to integrate immigrant medical professionals into the domestic healthcare workforce.
Updated on Oct. 3, 2026 in Nursing Jobs
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Should the US simplify professional licensing requirements to help immigrant healthcare workers fill staff shortages?
Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Adam Smith introduced the Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act and the Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act to address domestic healthcare staffing crises. The bills aim to streamline licensing and training for immigrants already residing in the United States.
Why it matters
The United States currently faces severe labor shortages that threaten clinical capacity, with projections indicating a need for 200,000 new nurses annually. This legislation seeks to leverage the existing pool of underemployed immigrant professionals to alleviate these mounting personnel pressures.
A 2022 Migration Policy Institute study identified 2.1 million college-educated immigrants as unemployed or underemployed in the United States. These workers could help fill a projected deficit of 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034 and meet an annual demand for 200,000 new nurses.
The players
Raja Krishnamoorthi
A U.S. Congressman who focuses on legislative efforts related to labor, healthcare workforce development, and economic policy.
Adam Smith
A U.S. Congressman involved in federal policy development concerning national security, defense, and labor markets.
The details
The bills provide federal grants for immigrant health professionals to cover examination preparation, testing, certification, and English-language training. The legislation further incentivizes states to implement temporary licensing programs, enabling supervised practice while candidates complete full US licensure requirements. Additionally, the proposal makes non-US-citizen immigrants eligible for the National Health Service Corps and mandates guaranteed medical residency slots in underserved communities.
Timeline
A 2022 Migration Policy Institute study analyzed the employment status of immigrant professionals.
The healthcare legislation was introduced on October 3, 2026.
The Association of American Medical Colleges projects a primary care physician shortage by 2034.
Market Landscape
The proposed legislation marks a direct attempt to expand the reach of the National Health Service Corps to include non-US-citizen immigrants. This follows a broader trend of federal efforts to bridge workforce gaps by integrating internationally trained professionals into domestic systems.
Operators in the healthcare sector should monitor these bills for potential shifts in the labor supply pipeline and credentialing requirements. If passed, these programs may change how medical facilities recruit for underserved areas and support the licensing of immigrant talent.
The takeaway
The proposed legislation aims to reduce the barriers that leave over two million college-educated immigrants underemployed. Business owners should track the progress of these bills, as they could eventually alter the recruitment pool and licensing standards for nursing and medical roles.
Further reading
For more on industry staffing trends, see Nursing Jobs.
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Should the US simplify professional licensing requirements to help immigrant healthcare workers fill staff shortages?
