Both these categories are strictly limited to 17.000 a year for all Eastern Hemisphere countries. and the third preference is heavily oversubscribed. During the first 16 months under the 1965 amendments. Ireland received 11 visas under these two categories. It should be pointed out that while this situation is partly due to the fact that few Irishmen meet the requirements. it is also partly due to the buildup of temporary backlogs. and will improve with their absorption. The new system works on a retroactive firstcome. firstserved basis and countries like Ireland. which in the past had more visa numbers available to them than they needed. had no waiting lists. Thus. when the 21/2year transitional pooling period came to an end on July 1. 1968. they fell behind the countries with oversubscribed quotas who had been building up backlogs in the preference categories. In the past. the vast majority of visas issued to Ireland were of the nonpreference. unskilled variety. which have been virtually unavailable under the new system. The State Departments Visa Office reports that nonpreference visasthat is. those left over after consideration of the preference categorieswill start being available in April. That is certainly to be hoped. In the meantime. I urge prompt action on this legislation in order that Ireland and any other country suffering as a result of the 1965 amendments be guaranteed a fair and realistic minimum number of visas a year. This is a safeguard which must be written into the legislation.
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