A bipartisan group of lawmakers has moved to create a dedicated “W-visa” classification for in-home caregivers, filing H.R. 9234—the Careworker Visa Act—in the Congressional Record on 28 July 2026. The bill would establish a three-year, renewable non-immigrant visa for qualified foreign nationals providing childcare, eldercare or disability support in private homes and small community settings. Spouses and minor children would receive derivative status and work authorization. Under the proposal, employers—including individual households—would undergo Labor Department certification confirming recruitment of U.S. workers at prevailing wages before sponsoring a caregiver. Visa numbers would be allocated through a demand-based formula tied to demographic projections, starting at 65,000 annually with a 20,000-visa floor for eldercare positions. Holders could transition to permanent residence after five years of continuous employment and good standing. Sponsors Representative Gabe Vásquez (D-NM) and Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) cited a “substantial and growing shortage” of care personnel as America’s over-65 population is set to double by 2040. Industry groups such as the American Health Care Association back the measure, arguing that professionalizing the sector and providing legal work pathways will curb exploitation in the informal nanny and home-health markets. From a mobility perspective, the bill would introduce a brand-new petition type, requiring corporate global-mobility teams that relocate executives with dependents or arrange long-term childcare to work with household HR vendors on compliance. Tax equalization policies may need revision, as caregivers could accrue U.S. tax residence more quickly under the renewable status. Immigration counsel also note that the W-visa could compete with, or replace, the current J-1 au-pair program, which has faced regulatory scrutiny over wage and work-hours violations. The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing after the August recess. Although the bill faces an uphill battle in a contentious election year, its narrow, workforce-supply focus and built-in wage protections give it greater odds than recent broad immigration overhauls. Employers reliant on in-home carers should monitor for potential pilot quotas that could be attached to the FY 2027 appropriations cycle.
