Speech #870151764

It grants nonquota status to aliens who are in the second. third. and fourth preference categories. which includes parents of citizens of the United States. unmarried sons or daughters of citizens of the United States. spouses or unmarried sons or daughters of aliens now permanently here. and. the category mentioned above. the brothers. sisters. married sons or daughters of citizens of the United States. Please let it be noted that the fourth preference category. which will be benefited by my bill. also includes the spouse and children of the people in the fourth preference whom I have just designated. One of the most important features of my bill is the fact that these people will receive nonquota status if they have had a visa petition filed on their behalf with the Attorney General prior to July 1. 1962. thus changing the cutoff date enacted last year. which applied to the second and third preference classes. In other words. all of the "relatives" described in the immigration law who are in preference categories will be benefited by my bill and. depending on the efficiency of the Department of State. will be able to migrate promptly to the United States to rejoin their families here. The Department of State informs me that under the act of September 26. 1961. 18.000 aliens became entitled to nonquota status in lieu of their previous preference position on the quota waiting list and of these 8.156 are in Italy. I have also been advised that of that number. 4.714 have been issued nonquota immigrant visas thus far. including 2.389 in Italy. Since my bill benefits the fourth preference category of alien relatives waiting for visas. I have inquired and ascertained from the Department of State that there are 131.260 prospective immigrants in Italy who are waiting for quota visas under the fourth preference and that the likelihood is that they will not receive their visas under the existing law for a good many yearsspecifically 12 years since the last fourth preference visa was issued in 1958 with the applicant holding the priority date of January 1. 1950. Mr. Speaker. as I have indicated. this simple bill is humanitarian in nature. There is nothing unusual about its purpose since legislation of this type has been enacted in the past. nothing in it will destroy the basic immigration and nationality law of this country. In fact. it is entirely in keeping with the spirit which has been exhibited by the Congress over the last 10 years in granting special nonquota status to people who must be admitted to their country to rejoin their families. There is nothing complicated about my proposal.