June 2005

Recently, the U.S. House and Senate resolved to recapture unused immigrant visa numbers and eliminate retrogression. The deal creates a special EB3 immigrant class for Schedule A occupations -- registered nurses and physical therapists. The special class exempts 50,000 immigrant visas from the general EB3 category and effectively ends nurse and physical therapist retrogression for at least the next two or three years.

At this point HLG estimates retrogression will be effectively lifted for EB3 Schedule A occupations with the publication of the July 2005 Visa Bulletin. The July Visa Bulletin should be released in mid-June.

HLG and its coalition partners, which include many prominent immigration attorneys, staffing companies, healthcare facilities, hospitals, and healthcare advocacy groups have spent several months working with Congressional representatives to raise awareness about the healthcare staffing shortage and push for Congressional action. We are quite pleased with the result of our efforts and are we will continue advocating for more favorable healthcare staffing legislation and policy.