US Lawmakers Introduce Bills to Help Immigrant Healthcare Professionals
Legislation aims to address medical worker shortages by removing licensing and training barriers for internationally trained professionals.
Quick Look
Democratic Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Adam Smith have introduced two bills to help immigrant and foreign-trained healthcare workers overcome licensing barriers and join the US workforce to address critical medical staff shortages.
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Why It Matters
The US faces a projected shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. A 2022 study found 2.1 million college-educated immigrants in the US are currently unemployed or underemployed.
Indian-origin US lawmaker Raja Krishnamoorthi, along with Congressman Adam Smith, has introduced two bills aimed at helping immigrant and internationally trained healthcare professionals overcome licensing and training barriers and join the US healthcare workforce amid rising shortages of medical workers. The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act and the Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act, introduced by Democratic Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi and Adam Smith, would provide support for training, licensing and certification for immigrants seeking healthcare careers, including doctors trained outside the US. Smith said thousands of qualified healthcare professionals are unable to use their skills in the US because of licensing barriers, even as patients face longer waits for care. “We have thousands of skilled nurses, doctors, and health professionals in this country whose training and expertise are going to waste because their professional expertise is not recognized and they face numerous barriers to achieving the needed licensure,” Smith said.
What the bills propose
The Immigrants in Nursing and Allied Health Act would create grants for programmes offering training, licensing, certification and case management to immigrants seeking healthcare careers. It would also expand eligibility for the National Health Service Corps to immigrants who are not US citizens. The legislation covers several healthcare professions, including nursing, dental hygiene, dietetics, medical technology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and speech-language pathology. The statement said about 200,000 nurses would need to be hired each year to meet growing demand and replace retiring workers. The second bill, the Internationally Trained Physicians Assistance Act, would encourage states to create temporary licensing programmes allowing foreign-trained doctors to work under supervision while completing requirements for a US medical licence. It would also establish guaranteed residency positions for internationally trained physicians serving mainly medically underserved communities. Grants under the proposal would help eligible doctors with financial need cover costs related to exam preparation, testing, certification, English-language classes and case management.
Why US lawmakers are pushing the bills
The lawmakers cited both healthcare workforce shortages and the underemployment of highly educated immigrants. A 2022 Migration Policy Institute study cited in the statement found that 2.1 million college-educated immigrants were unemployed or underemployed. The Association of American Medical Colleges has projected a shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians by 2034. Krishnamoorthi said the proposals would help qualified immigrants overcome barriers while allowing communities to make better use of skilled professionals already living in the US. The legislation has been endorsed by several organisations, including the International Medical Graduates Academy, Nashi Immigrants Health Board, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, Sea Mar Community Health Center, Seattle Indian Health Board, Upwardly Global and World Education Services.
Open Questions
- What is the likelihood of these bills passing the current Congress?
- How will states respond to the voluntary temporary licensing programs?
