Speech #890290551

I would like to point out. in fact. that Secretary Wirtz and his Department have been doing their utmost to overcome the inherent administrative difficulties in this section. In most cases the authority to certify sixth preference applicants has been transferred to the regional offices. On July 9 a proposal to revise schedule Aa listing of all occupations open to immigrantswas announced. And on July 22. the Department proposed that a number of occupations be deleted from schedule Ba listing of all occupations closed to immigrants. These proposals and the suggestions submitted by interested organizations are being carefully weighed by the Secretary of Labor. I am confident that a workable formula can be devised whereby qualified immigrants whose skills we need will be welcomed in the United States with a minimum of redtape and without in any way diminishing the opportunities or wage rates of American workers or lowering the standards of licensed professionals. There are several additional improvements which can be made. I would recommend that immigrants from the Western Hemisphere be subject to no more labor certification requirements than immigrants from other parts of the world. This would mean. in effect. that all immigrants from this hemisphere who have close relatives in the United States be exempt from the labor clearance. according to the standardized procedure for other countries. It is my belief that such a revision could be made administratively without requiring additional legislation. I urge the Department of Labor to consider this very carefully. I would also hope that the recently appointed members of the Select Commission on Western Hemisphere Immigration study these problems in order to assure our Latin American and Canadian friends that we have not abandoned the letter or the spirit of the good neighbor policy.