Get up to speed on the latest issues AAPPR is tracking on Capitol Hill, from H-1B visa fee developments to changes to student loan rules. The confirmation of a new Department of Homeland Security Secretary presents a unique opportunity to raise concerns surrounding the H-1B fee, and the FY27 appropriations process should also highlight health workforce challenges and funding questions. AAPPR is engaged with numerous bipartisan offices to elevate key priority issues, which you can read more about in this month’s update.

H-1B Visa Fee Developments

The Trump Administration’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee remains in effect and continues to pose recruitment challenges for healthcare organizations seeking international physicians and other providers. We appreciate you reaching out to share your experience navigating the fee, including the unfortunate reality of pausing recruitment of candidates who would require payment of the H-1B fee. This feedback helps us advocate for policies that matter to you, including an exemption for healthcare workers from the $100,000 H-1B fee.

AAPPR has been working alongside national health stakeholder groups and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to secure introduction of the H-1Bs for Physicians and the Healthcare Workforce Act. The bill would exempt all physicians and other healthcare workers from the new $100,000 H-1B filing fee upon enactment. The legislation defines “healthcare worker” to include, but not be limited to, physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, primary care providers, preventive medicine physicians, optometrists, ophthalmologists, physician assistants, pharmacists, dentists, dental hygienists, other oral healthcare professionals, and other allied health professionals. We are hopeful that this bipartisan legislation sends a clear message from Congress about the need to exempt healthcare workers from the fee. AAPPRS thanks Reps. Mike Lawler (R-NY), Bishop (D-GA), Salazar (R-FL), and Clarke (D-NY) for leading this important bipartisan effort.

For more details on the legislation, click here.

On the litigation front, we are awaiting an update in the Global Nurse Force case. During a hearing last month on a motion for preliminary injunction, the government argued that the new fee is not a tax, while the plaintiffs argued that Congress authorized immigration fees only to cover the costs of administering the programs. We expect an update in the coming weeks.

AAPPR Comments on Proposed Federal Student Loan Rule Affecting Provider Pipeline

On February 3, 2026, the Department of Education published a proposed rule implementing student loan provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), with significant implications for the nursing workforce pipeline. The proposed rule explicitly excludes Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degrees from the definition of “professional degree,” meaning nursing students will be subject to the lower graduate student loan limits: $20,500 annually and $100,000 in aggregate, rather than the $50,000 annual and $200,000 aggregate limits available to medical, dental, and other professional students. This classification change will reduce federal loan access for advanced practice nursing students and other providers.

On March 2, 2026, AAPPR submitted a comment letter expressing concerns about the proposed rule’s adverse effect on the healthcare workforce pipeline. In comments, AAPPR urged the Department to adopt a broad, inclusive definition of “professional student” that encompasses advanced nursing degrees alongside other allied health programs, warning that the reclassification could reduce the number of advanced practice providers entering the workforce and intensify the recruitment competition that hospitals and health systems already face. The new rules are expected to take effect July 1, 2026. Please stay tuned for more updates.

AAPPR Endorses the Rural Residency Grant Pilot Program

AAPPR has signed on in support of the Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2025 (H.R. 6468), joining a broad coalition of healthcare organizations urging Congress to authorize dedicated funding for the Rural Residency Planning and Development (RRPD) pilot program. Since its launch in 2019, the RRPD program has worked to address persistent physician shortages in rural communities by supporting the creation and sustainability of rural residency programs, including funding for start-up costs, accreditation, faculty development, and recruitment.

This would ensure the continuity and expansion of the program, strengthening the long-term sustainability of healthcare access in rural areas across the nation.

Closing Word

The next few weeks are going to be tumultuous on Capitol Hill. There are positive signs of movement on issues important to AAPPR and all of you, but they are caught between debates on issues garnering national attention. Stay tuned for updates on the H-1B visa, the Conrad 30 program, and other policy-related items between now and the Advancing Connections 2026 AAPPR Conference next month!