Speech #890150994

It is my hope that this simple guide may save considerable time and no little expense for the interested many who have a need for this information. The questions and answers follow: Question 1. Is the immigration bill which the President signed on October 3. 1965. a general overhaul of the immigration and citizenship laws of the United States? Answer. No. as the reports of the committees of the House and Senate make clear. the new law is not intended to be a general overhaul of the immigration law. Its principal purpose is to change the basis for selection of immigrants. Question 2. What has been the basis for selection prior to the new law? Answer. Each country of the world outside the Western Hemisphere has been assigned a fixed ceiling on the number of immigrants born in that country who could migrate to the United States annually. This system. in effect since 1924. ranges from a high of 65.361 for natives of Great Britain to a minimum of 100 which are authorized for each of about 80 separate areas. The total number authorized under this "National Origins Quota System" is currently 158.561. The average annual immigration under this system in the past decade has been 96.221. the balance of the numbers not being used because of the comparatively low demand from countries with the highest quotas. Question 3. How many immigrants are authorized annually under the new system? Answer. Two new ceilings are established. A limit of 170.000 will be set on immigrants who are natives of countries outside the Western Hemisphere. A ceiling of 120.000 will be placed on natives of the Western Hemisphere. Question 4.