Mr. Speaker. one of the cardinal principles of our immigration laws should be to facilitate the reuniting of families. In the act of September 11. 1957. we took a long step forward in that direction and with humanitarian intent. converted quota immigrants to nonquota immigrants of those who had a petition approved by the Attorney General prior to July 1. 1957. We included in this conversion people registered in the first. second. and third preference categories. but stopped short of including the fourth preference category. which covers sisters and brothers and adult children of American citizens. By so doing. we permitted entry of some 80.000 people who had waited in many instances over 10 years for a visa Issuance. Inclusion of the fourth preference category could mean no hardship to the United States. since American citizens stand ready. willing and able to assist their relatives in all the problems of resettlement which would mean of course housing. jobs. and assimilation. There is an estimated 200.000 who. like others in the first three preferential categories. have waited hopelessly for many years to be reunited with their parents and with their brothers and sisters.
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immigration immigrants visa