On May 24, Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez introduced legislation that may make it possible for the US Department of Veterans Affairs to hire additional H1B workers.
Known as the Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act, the legislation would make it easier for the VA to hire qualified healthcare professionals on H1B visas to provide care to veterans when no suitable applicant from the United States is available.
The bill would accomplish this by making both the VA and State Veterans Homes H1B cap-exempt, thus allowing the institutions to hire additional H1B workers in the healthcare field as necessary. The hope is that the severe healthcare worker shortage in the United States that is affecting the VA can be addressed by expanding the number of H1B workers that can be hired to care for veterans.
According to Tlaib, “Our veterans deserve high-quality healthcare, and our district knows firsthand the importance of providing access to care, especially mental health services, for veterans who need it the most.”
Congresswoman Ramirez, who is a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, added, “We have a duty to uphold our commitment to our veterans, who are being affected by the health worker shortage in our nation. We can address this shortage with the immigrants in our communities who are ready and want to work, but face so many hurdles to do so. We can and must address this.”
If the legislation were to pass and be signed into law, it could provide another valuable avenue for H1B employment in the United States, as well as fill a critical need for quality healthcare for military veterans.
