Nurses and other highly skilled legal immagrant heatlcare professionals are being left out of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform package being considered by Congress and supported by the President.

Glendale, CA (PRWEB) June 1, 2007 -- VisionQwest Healthcare says healthcare professionals will be hurt by current proposed comprehensive immigration reform.

VisionQwest Healthcare has made several attempts to reach out to California Senators and members of the Congressional representation on current Comprehensive Immigration Reform - No Response! The firm has also reached out to other national political leaders on immigration reform - No Answer. Politicians seem to be so concerned about addressing the illegal immigration issue of the 12 million that they have forgotten about those that are highly skilled immigrants that provide healthcare services as nurses and physical therapists in this nation that come from foreign countries. With healthcare professionals in great demand due to a shortage in the United States, especially in California, those that are educated in medical patient care are being ignored completely by the Senate and Congress. The Healthcare industry right now is faced with retrogression on immigrant visas from nations that have highly trained nurses and PT's. In November 0f 2006 the visas were exhausted and Congress has not acted to provide new visa quotas to fill the need of healthcare professionals. Action from Congress is needed quickly to resolve this problem. The current immigration reform does nothing to solve visa problems for healthcare professionals needed in the United States.

The healthcare industry is faced with quotas for nurses and physical therapists. This past 2006 90,000 visas were given to cover the countries of India, Mexico, China and the Philippines. Within weeks those visas were used up and as of this time Congress has not given healthcare visas to be able to hire foreign medical professionals. Out of the 90,000 only 13% were actually used for medical professionals, the remaining portion went to their families. "We have a big problem. We can't hire any more nurses because we do not have the visas to apply for and we get bombarded everyday for requests for nurses from medical and skilled nursing facilities and we can't provide," stated Michael Lodge, President and CEO of VisionQwest Healthcare. If Congress does not address these concerns soon and focus on those immigrants who have gone through or are willing to go through the full legal process to get here healthcare will have a problem. Congress needs to eliminate the big numbers proposed for illegal immigrants and provide higher visa quotas to professional classifications of workers that will help provide better nursing services and quality of healthcare to patients in the United States.

Presently the Department of Labor has a list of occupations that are in national short supply. This list is called Schedule A. For over 30 years, the DOL has found that immigration for a Schedule A occupation has no impact whatsoever to US Labor. The Senate's Comprehensive Immigration Reform eliminates Schedule A. This is a classic case of the Congress "solving" a non-problem. The DOL has already identified shortage occupations - they are on Schedule A. The Senate needs to make sure that Schedule A continues to exist. The Senate also needs to provide a reasonable and quick immigration process for these desperately needed and talented workers.

The healthcare industry has existing backlogs of medical staff waiting to come to the United States but Congress has lowered the numerical caps. Instead of Congress raising those caps to medical professionals to fill the shortage of nurses and physical therapists they lowered it but raised the guest worker program to unskilled individuals. The proposed Y visa concept will not work. This new temporary visa class creates a quasi slave-trade that will likely result in yet another undocumented migrant worker "problem" in just a few years. The Y visa allows non H-1 workers to enter the United States to work for two (2) years (often without allowing their family members). These workers are then compelled to return to their native country. The Y visa does not become effective until the Department of Homeland Security certifies that the border is secure.

Plainly, workers who come to America will not leave after their two-year period is over. Anyone close to the immigration issue knows this to be the case. Congress should go back to the drawing board and (i) eliminate the two '2 years only' requirement; and (ii) allow a clear path to Permanent Residency. Securing the boarder however has to work first and to punish employers for hiring illegal workers.

This nation has a problem when political leaders focus on giving amnesty to individuals who refuse to work within the legal process of immigration. "This nation is in need of skilled medical workers and our hands are tied because Congress is not focused on how their immigration reform will hurt the Medical care in this nation", stated Michael Lodge. We are asking for Congress to take a better look at the needs of our country and how Comprehensive Immigration Reform does not address highly skilled workers needed in the healthcare industry. VisionQwest Healthcare will continue to work with Congress on immigration reform that affects the healthcare industry and patient care.

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