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H.R. 5985119th CongressIn committeeLatest action Nov 7, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
Official title: Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act
Introduced:
Read the official bill on Congress.govThe plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 5985 would exempt foreign healthcare workers at VA facilities from the H-1B annual cap and a 2025 entry restriction.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
HR 5985 would create an exception to the annual H-1B visa cap for foreign-trained doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers hired by the Department of Veterans Affairs or by state-approved veteran care homes. The bill would also block a September 2025 presidential proclamation that restricted certain H-1B holders from entering the country from applying to those healthcare workers. As a result, qualifying workers at VA or certified veteran facilities could enter the United States to work even if the broader proclamation would otherwise prevent them.
Veterans receiving care at VA hospitals and state veteran homes are the population most directly affected by staffing decisions tied to this bill. Foreign-born healthcare professionals who work at or seek positions within those facilities would also be directly affected.
VA medical centers have faced ongoing staffing shortages, and the exemption would change how foreign healthcare workers at those facilities are counted under immigration limits. Removing the cap exemption's absence and the entry restriction could affect the supply of medical staff available to serve veterans at those facilities.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.