The U.S. healthcare system depends on nurse immigrants to mitigate workforce shortages, which are expected to worsen in the coming years, according to the Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools.
CGFNS International is a nonprofit organization that validates foreign-educated healthcare professionals on their credentials through two screening processes: VisaScreen and Credentials Evaluation Service.
From 2018 to 2023, the number of applications in VisaScreen — which assesses prospective healthcare workers seeking a U.S. occupational visa — increased 212%. In December 2023, the organization said it expected a decline after COVID-19-era policies ended.
Throughout 2024, the organization saw 24,733 VisaScreen applications, which was a 4.6% decrease from the previous year but still above prepandemic levels.
A few other things happened in 2024:
1. Nurse immigration trended downward after a post-pandemic surge, resulting in a steady but limited flow of applicants.
2. U.S. healthcare facilities shifted their hiring strategies after experiencing long wait times for work visas in early 2024.
3. After two years, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services abruptly stopped approving H-1B applications for some nurses working in specialized roles at Magnet hospitals — reverting the H-1B visa program to its former state of rarity.
With these factors and a new federal administration, CGFNS International said it is difficult to predict 2025’s outlook.
“The Trump Administration’s focus on immigration will likely result in significant policy shifts, including visa availability and processing times,” the report said. “Key challenges, such as visa retrogression and employment-based green card caps, are likely to persist in the short term, creating continued barriers for healthcare professionals seeking to enter the U.S. workforce.”