Mr. President. I also introduce. for appropriate reference. a bill to amend section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act now requires that a foreign exchange student reside abroad for 2 years before he or she is eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship. with certain provisions for hardship cases. It does not. however. allow a foreign exchange student to remain here under normal circumstances even when the students own government has no objection. The bill which I introduce would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. to provid that the Attorney General may waive the requirement of a 2year residence abroad for foreign exchange students when the government of the students country files written notification that it has no objection. and the Attorney General finds that the students admission to the United States would be in the public interest. I see no valid reason why a person should be required to leave this country for 2 years if it is in the public interest for him to remain here and his own government has no objection to his doing so. I hope that the Congress will see fit to change the law in this respect.
Keywords matched
Immigration