Speaker. until about 20 years ago. clergymen and members of religious orders came to the United States in large numbers to help meet the religious needs of our communities. Since World War II this situation has reversed itself. and now the entire world is drawing on our theological schools for its graduates. These men and women are being called upon to serve abroad. and some of them. while otherwise willing to do so. refuse for the reason that they are naturalized citizens and would lose their citizenship by accepting such employment abroad. In order to eliminate this hardship. I have introduced a bill. H. R. 791. to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit clergymen. members of religious orders. and representatives of bona fide religious organizations to perform their religious duties abroad without loss of their citizenship. provided that such persons register each year at the appropriate Foreign Service Office. The second part of my bill would restore citizenship status to those persons fulfilling religious assignments abroad at the time of the enactment of the Immigration Act in 1952. who lost their citizenship rights for that reason. Such persons would be restored to citizenship by taking the required oaths referred to in section 310 (a) of the Immigration Act. I hope we can have hearings on this bill in the near future and bring about its early enactment.
Keywords matched
Immigration naturalized