Rep. Gabe Vasquez Introduces Careworker Visa Act to Address Childcare and Eldercare Worker Shortage, Bring Down Costs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - On June 9, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) introduced the Careworker Visa Act to address the nation's growing shortage of childcare providers, eldercare workers, and in-home caregivers and bring down care costs by creating a new legal visa pathway for qualified careworkers.

This legislation recognizes a simple reality: America needs more caregivers to bring down rising costs, and our immigration system should reflect that.

• As the American population ages, there will be a projected 4.6 million unfilled caregiving jobs by 2032.
• Nationwide, the cost of childcare has spiked by about 8% since 2024, while the cost of in-home eldercare has risen three times faster than inflation, with prices jumping about 10% in 2025.
• The Administration's immigration crackdown is only making matters worse.
• New Mexico has an especially pronounced need for additional careworkers:
  • In 2025, New Mexico became the first state in the country to offer universal childcare, but as of May 2026, the state still faced significant caregiver labor shortages, leaving 15,000 New Mexican children unable to receive the free childcare their families were promised.
  • New Mexico's population is rapidly aging. By 2031, New Mexico is projected to be the state with the fourth-highest percentage of residents over 65 years old.

The Careworker Visa Act creates a new W visa category for qualified careworkers, including childcare providers, eldercare workers, and in-home caregivers for individuals with disabilities. In addition to allowing those from other countries to apply for a W visa, this bill also allows individuals to apply for a work visa if they have been in the U.S. since 2024, pass a background check, and pay a $500 fee and all taxes - providing those who seek to work in this critical industry a path out of the shadows.

The program is capped at 100,000 visas annually and requires participating employers to pay prevailing wages and comply with federal labor protections to ensure that U.S. wages are not impacted. Successful applicants may renew their visas after three years or pursue lawful permanent residency after meeting program requirements.

"American families are paying more than ever for childcare and eldercare, employers can't find enough qualified caregivers, and the President's mass deportation campaign is only making matters worse," said Rep. Vasquez. "This bill will help fill the critical workforce shortages that are holding back our economy, bring down care costs for American families, and empower careworkers who are eager to follow the rules and work here legally. Immigrant careworkers make up a huge share of the caregiving industry and play an indispensable role in caring for our loved ones."

Rep. Vasquez's Careworker Visa Act is cosponsored by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) endorsed by FWD.us, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Caregiver Action Network, Family Caregiver Alliance, and PHI.

"Finding the right person to care for your kids or aging parents is a deeply personal task, and for millions of Americans, the careworker keeping their family afloat is an immigrant. These families deserve stability in their care, which is why careworkers need secure pathways to legal citizenship," said Rep. Houlahan. "The Careworker Visa Act creates that pathway, making sure our kids, elders, and people with disabilities can keep getting the support they need from dedicated, hardworking caregivers."

"We commend Congressman Vazquez for his leadership in innovative, critical ways to build a modern, humane, and orderly immigration system that fits the needs of American families and our economy," said Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us. "For many Americans, the increasing challenges of finding caregivers have been made even worse by the current efforts to restrict legal immigration avenues and other attacks on immigrants. That is why we're so appreciative of this effort to build a caregiver visa in such a thoughtful, common sense manner."

"All of us will need care at some point in our lives, and immigrants make up one-third of America's care workforce. But right now, as our population ages and the need for care continues to grow, the domestic and care workers who do so much for our kids, parents, and loved ones with disabilities are living in fear in the communities they call home," said Ai-jen Poo, President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance. "The Careworker Visa Act reflects the simple reality that in our country, the future of care and the future of immigration are intertwined. This legislation is an important step toward ensuring families have access to qualified, affordable care workers as we build toward more robust care policies, including a pathway to citizenship for immigrant care workers."

"If we don't act, the consequences are clear: more stress on family caregivers - including caregiving youth - and more working adults forced to cut hours or leave their jobs altogether. We already don't have enough care workers to meet today's demand, and that gap is growing. This bill is a pragmatic step toward creating a system that supports both care workers and the families who depend on them," said Caregiver Action Network CEO Marvell Adams Jr. "The cost of inaction is rising every day - family caregivers are under increasing strain, including young people taking on caregiving roles, and too many working caregivers are being pushed out of the workforce. The care worker shortage is real and growing. This bill is a practical step toward building a system that better supports care workers and family caregivers alike. Without the actions of this bill, families pay the price-more stress, more lost wages, and fewer care options. This bill is a pragmatic step toward building a system that supports care workers and the millions of families who rely on them."

"69% of the family caregivers that FCA and other California Caregiver Resource Centers support have no paid help, even though 41% are providing care for someone who can never be left alone, and 26% have had to make employment changes in the past year due to caregiving responsibilities," said Jenna Shankman, Senior Policy Analyst, Family Caregiver Alliance. "These pauses from work have a ripple effect on the caregiver's own financial security and retirement. With the current shortage of people in this important field, it can be extremely challenging to find qualified careworkers to support older adults and people with disabilities, and with the shift in demographics towards more older adults, this can only be expected to get worse."

"The need for care is growing in every community across the country, yet too many older adults and people with disabilities struggle to find the support they need, while the workers who provide that care - more than a quarter of whom are immigrants - have too often been left without adequate wages or basic workplace protections," said Jodi M. Sturgeon, President & CEO of PHI. "The Careworker Visa Act creates a pathway into the direct care workforce while strengthening wage standards, protecting workers against exploitation and retaliation, and giving them a voice when conditions fall short. It's the fair, accountable approach PHI has long championed."

Under the Careworker Visa Act, careworker and employer eligibility is as follows:

• A "careworker" as an individual whose primary duties include providing childcare, eldercare, or in-home or community-level support for individuals with disabilities. It does not apply to institutional health care employers or residential care institutions with 25 or more employees.
• Careworkers must have a qualifying job offer, be admissible to the U.S. or qualify for a waiver, provide proof of paying all taxes and a $500 fee, and pass a background check.
• There are two legal pathways under the newly-created W visa:
  • Admissability: Individuals without current immigration status may apply.
  • Change of Status: Individuals present in the U.S. since January 1, 2024 without lawful status or under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program may be eligible for change of status and work permit if they meet the above requirements.
• After three years on the W Visa, individuals may apply for legal permanent residency or renew the visa for additional 3-year increments.
• Portability: Employees who leave their employers have a grace period of 90 days to find a new eligible employer.
• A "covered employer" includes individuals or families employing careworkers in private residences or small caregiving businesses with fewer than 25 employees.

The bill requires the Department of Labor to certify the need for foreign workers in the U.S., and the Secretary of Homeland Security must provide an annual report to Congress regarding program implementation. Read the full bill text here.

The Careworker Visa Act is the latest example of Rep. Vasquez's longstanding commitment to advancing commonsense immigration solutions. He is a leader of the New American Immigration Plan, a commonsense plan to secure our borders, boost the U.S. economy, and expand legal pathways in a humane, cost-effective way.

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