US resumes hiring of Filipino nurses

WASHINGTON — US President George W. Bush has approved a congressional amendment that will enable hospitals in the United States to resume hiring Filipino nurses to alleviate a staffing shortage.

Under the measure, 50,000 employment-based immigrant visas (EB-3) that had been allotted to other countries from 2001 to 2004 but were unused will be reassigned to the Philippines, India and China.

EB-3 visas are used mainly by US hospitals for hiring foreign-trained nurses.

Ambassador to Washington Albert del Rosario on Thursday said the amendment of the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act of 2000 "opens the door for the entry into the US of our nurses, who are well-known for their competence and compassion as health workers."

In a press statement, Romulo commended the American Hospital Association, US recruitment agencies, the Philippine Nurses Association and members of the Filipino community for their support in the passage of the amendment.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) suspended last December the processing of EB-3 applications from the Philippines, China and India after the countries exceeded their annual quotas.

The CIS said that in order to clear the backlog it would process only visa and status-adjustment applications filed before Jan. 1, 2002.

The amendment is expected to advance the priority dates for countries with pending EB-3 applications. At present, the cut-off date for China, India and the Philippines is April 2002.

Filipino nurses are the most sought-after foreign health-care workers in the US and are likely to benefit the most from the new measure.

The amendment was incorporated into "The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Defense, the Global War on Terror and Tsunami Relief Act" signed by Bush on Wednesday.

The Department of Health and Human Services estimates there are 130,000 vacancies for registered nurses throughout the US, a figure expected to double within the next five years.

Legislators pointed out that the amendment would not increase the number of foreign workers entering the US. It merely puts to full use the number of EB-3 visas allowed by law to address a labor shortage in a crucial sector.

Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas welcomed the development and said she hopes it would allow the processing of new visa applications for Filipino nurses and other healthcare workers to resume before October this year. — With Mayen Jaymalin