FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE/October 7, 1996 CONTACT: Sara Foer [202-651-7023] Congress Gives Foreign Nurses One-year Grace Period as Visa Program SunsetsANA Calls 11th Hour Decision a Fair CompromiseWASHINGTON, DC -- The American Nurses Association (ANA) today supported Congress' final action to provide a one-year extension for the special visa program for foreign educated registered nurses whose visas have expired or will expire before September 30, 1997. Enacted in 1990 as a response to a sustained shortage of registered nurses, the program was allowed to sunset in September 1995. Completed during the last moments of the 104th session, this new law will only impact the H-1A nurses who are currently working within the United States and will prohibit any new nurses from entering the U.S. under the expired H-1A visa.Working in conjunction with the Philippine Nurses Association of America and the American Health Care Association toward this measure, "ANA considers this fair compromise to be a grace period for the H-1A nurses to either obtain permanent citizenship or to return to their home countries," said ANA President Beverly L. Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN. "While we are not in favor of restoring the H-1A visa, ANA does not wish to cause any undue hardship to those nurses who were caught unaware by the sunsetting of the program," she added. In addition, this one-year period will provide health care facilities that relied on the program to build their nursing staffs by bringing foreign nurses coming into the country under special visa program with opportunities to recruit American educated nurses to maintain their staffing levels. Earlier this year, an amendment to the Immigration in the National Interest Act of 1995 (H.R.2202) was defeated by an overwhelming majority of the U.S. House of Representatives. ANA strongly opposed the amendment, offered by Congressman Richard Burr (R-NC), because of its potential negative effect on employment opportunities for experienced domestic and new graduate registered nurses. The amendment would have restored the temporary visa program for foreign nurses, and "its demise was a victory in preserving job opportunities for staff nurses," said Malone. ANA believes the special visa program is unnecessary due to the current trend of downsizing and restructuring within the health care industry, the increasing numbers of nurses entering the United States under the negotiated trade agreements, and the improving supply of domestic and new graduate nurses. "Employers who provide good wages and working conditions have no trouble recruiting and retaining well educated nurses," said Malone. "Continuing the H-1A visa program would have been misguided in today's environment; however, we are in full support of the provision to give foreign nurses a one-year grace period."
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