Wage-based H-1B selection: American Hospital Association says rural hospitals will suffer

As the US is planning to move to a wage-based H-1B selection and invited comments from stakeholders, the American Hospital Association informed the Department of Homeland Security that rural hospitals may suffer from the proposed changes to H-1B selection.

The H-1B visa program allows companies to hire skilled people from foreign countries, including health workers and the selection is done through a random lottery. But the administration is now aiming to move to a process where companies that pay higher wages have the maximum chance of getting skilled workers from foreign countries. While the aim of this proposed selection process is to save entry-level tech jobs from foreigners, the AHA says that rural hospitals may suffer because they don't have high wages to offer which means they have a lesser chance to get foreign healthcare workers.

'H-1Bs do not displace American workers'

In its letter, the AHA said H-1B visa program is a critical short-term approach for US hospitals to recruit highly skilled health care professionals. "Foreign-trained medical professionals do not displace American workers. Instead, they play a critical role in improving the health of the communities our hospitals serve. They are highly qualified, required to meet our nation’s standards for education, English fluency and state licensure," it said.

The association said that H-1Bs in health care are paid based on their US experience which is often zero, even though they have worked in foreign countries. "The weighted selection process, as currently proposed, also could be especially detrimental to rural and underserved areas. Hospitals and health systems serving these areas face substantial financial headwinds, placing constraints on their ability to pay higher wages that could increase the probability of receiving H-1B visas in a weighted selection process," they said.

In the proposed weighted selection, there are four levels

The AHA proposed that all health care workers should be considered level 4 so that hospitals get their equal share of H-1B healthcare workers.