The newly announced $100,000 H-1B visa fee hike could make it harder for U.S. hospitals to hire skilled nurses at a time when the country is facing a critical nursing shortage.
As the lead plaintiff in this lawsuit, Global Nurse Force is standing with America’s hospitals, nurses, and patients.
Highlights at a Glance
- The United States faces a projected shortage of 1 million nurses by 2031, with 42 states already reporting critical staffing gaps.
- The $100,000 H-1B visa fee hike will make it impossible for U.S. health systems to bring in the doctors and nurses they need quickly.
- Currently 1 in 6 nurses in the U.S. are internationally educated and 1 in 4 doctors are international medical graduates.
- Global Nurse Force (GNF), the lead plaintiff in this case, has placed more than 10,000 nurses at healthcare facilities throughout the US, UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and the Middle East.
- GNF’s direct-hire model allows health systems to employ internationally trained healthcare professionals directly. Once they arrive at our client’s facility, they become permanent employees and receive the same pay and benefits as regular staff.
- Health Systems can save over $150,000 per clinician compared to traditional contract staffing options.
- GNF is actively working to secure an exemption for healthcare professionals so that hospitals can continue to bring in the doctors and nurses they need.
- Our non-profit and safety-net hospitals already operate on thin margins. A $100,000 per petition surcharge is unsustainable. This fee would force many of our clients to close units. Ultimately, patients would suffer.
A Shared Promise of Care
For more than two decades, Global Nurse Force has connected hospitals across the U.S. with skilled and experienced nurses from around the world.
From Mumbai to Manchester and London to Louisiana, GNF has placed over 10,000 nurses across 175 hospitals in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East.
These nurses are not temporary workers; they are permanent caregivers who become part of their hospital’s core teams, improving outcomes and restoring hope to patients every day.
The Challenge: A $100,000 Fee at a Time of Crisis
In September 2025, a proclamation introduced a $100,000 supplemental fee for each new H-1B visa petition. Although this may appear to be an administrative policy, its ripple effect in healthcare is profound.
U.S. hospitals planning to hire international nurses through the H-1B visa route are stopped.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need 1 million new nurses by 2031. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce notes that 42 out of 50 states already face shortages, and a 2024 McKinsey report found that 31 percent of bedside nurses may leave their roles within 12 months because of burnout.
If hospitals cannot access international nurses, patient wait times will increase, emergency units will close beds, and domestic nurses will face even heavier workloads.
The $100,000 fee has life or death implications, not just cost implications. Fewer nurses mean delayed or denied patient care.
How Global Nurse Force Helps Hospitals Stay Open
Global Nurse Force’s direct-hire model allows U.S. hospitals to employ talented, skilled and experienced international nurses as permanent staff members who receive the same pay, benefits, and professional opportunities as their American peers.
The company manages every detail, including recruitment, credential verification, licensing, immigration, relocation, and family support. This ensures hospitals receive competent, compassionate professionals who are ready to serve on day one.
This model promotes workforce stability, reduces dependence on short-term travel-nurse contracts (which can cost hospitals millions more each year), and delivers continuity of care to patients who need it most.
Why We Filed the Lawsuit
Global Nurse Force made the decision to join this lawsuit challenging the $100,000 fee hike to protect our Clients, American Nurses and Patients across the country.
Our focus throughout this legal process is clear: to advocate for a fair and practical approach that recognizes the essential role of healthcare professionals.
We are working to ensure that doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals are exempted from the new H-1B fee hike so that hospitals can continue to hire the skilled caregivers they urgently need. This effort is not just about legal relief; it is about keeping care within reach for patients who cannot afford delay.
We are protecting hospitals that are striving to maintain safe staffing levels.
We are protecting nurses who have dedicated their lives to healing.
And we are protecting patients whose access to timely care depends on both.
“We joined this lawsuit because international doctors and nurses, some of our hospitals simply cannot keep their doors open. This isn’t about optional staffing – it’s about survival”
said Lalit Pattnaik, Founder and CEO of Global Nurse Force.
Strengthening, Not Replacing, the U.S. Workforce
Global Nurse Force fully supports an America-First Healthcare Vision in which domestic talent and international talent work side by side.
International nurses do not replace American workers; they reinforce them.
They fill critical gaps in high-need specialties and underserved regions, helping to improve patient care across the country.
Nearly 15 percent of registered nurses and one in four physicians in the United States are foreign-born (U.S. Census Bureau and AMA, 2024). They are integral to the resilience of American healthcare and a living example of how global collaboration strengthens national well-being.
A Global Responsibility
The implications of this policy extend far beyond U.S. borders.
Healthcare operates as a global ecosystem. When one part weakens, others feel the strain.
The Philippines, India, the United Kingdom, and the GCC regions have been vital partners in meeting worldwide healthcare needs. Protecting ethical, sustainable pathways for international professionals ensures that this global chain of care remains strong.
At Global Nurse Force, we call this the Human Care Economy, an interconnected network of people whose compassion powers hospitals, communities, and nations.
The Road Ahead
Global Nurse Force will continue to collaborate with hospitals, policymakers, and partners to find balanced solutions that preserve both workforce sustainability and patient safety.
We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to advocate for the exemption of healthcare professionals from the $100,000 H-1B fee hike, ensuring that hospitals never have to choose between compliance and care.
We stand with nurses,
We stand with hospitals.
We stand with patients.
We are Global Nurse Force
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