This bill would recapture unused employment-based immigrant visas and reserve them for professional nurses and physicians. It amends an earlier immigration law to make up to 40,000 visas available for beneficiaries whose petitions were filed no later than three years after the bill becomes law. Of those visas, 25,000 are reserved for professional nurses and 15,000 for physicians. The recaptured visas are the difference between employment-based visas made available and visas actually used in fiscal years 1992 through 2024, reduced over time as the recaptured visas are issued. Visas under this program would be exempt from per-country numerical limits and issued by petition priority date. Family members accompanying or following to join a principal beneficiary would receive visas from the recaptured pool and would not count against the nurse or physician reservations. The bill requires premium-processing procedures without charging a premium fee, faster shipment of petitions for consular processing, and expedited State Department processing. Before a reserved visa for a nurse is issued, the petitioner must attest in the job offer letter that hiring the immigrant has not and will not displace a U.S. worker.
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