Speech #910184280

President. I join in the request of the Senator from North Carolina. The amendment to section 212(e) dealing with the visa for ultimate residence requirements for those who came as exchange visitors without in any way being the subject of the United States or their own countrys financing is a reform for which my office has contended for the last 7 years. Mr. President. I am extremely gratified that S. 2593. as amended. has been finally accepted by the Senate. The passage of this bill signals the end of a long struggle beginning in April 1963 the first time I wrote a letter to Secretary of State Rusk and again in April 1964 when I wrote again pointing out how over the last few years my office had been flooded with hundreds of exchangevisitor cases where use of the "exchangevisitor visa" also known as the J visa had been extended to cover large numbers of foreign nationals teaching or otherwise employed here who were issued J visas but were not sponsored by the U.S. Government within the meaning of Public Law 87256 or the predecessor laws. These people were not supported in any way from public funds or funds provided for the purpose of the program by private organizations of either the United States or their own countries. All came to the United States without travel grants and in many cases without any type of grant. but because they were participants in a program designated by the Secretary of State and were issued a J visa. they were not eligible to apply for permanent residence until they had resided and been physically present in the country of their nationality for an aggregate of at least 2 years following departure from the United States. I recommended that action be taken with all possible speed to amend all improperly issued J visas and that the holders of these visas be reclassified so that an alien of distinguished merit and ability coming temporarily to the United States would be eligible to apply for adjustment of status. S. 2593. as amended. changes section 212(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. and imposes a foreign residence requirement only where the exchange visitors participation was financed by the United States. Section 101(a) (15) (H) (1) is amended to permit entry of aliens for a temporary period to perform services which may be temporary in nature or permanent in nature. Before this amendment. aliens admitted on an (H) (1) petition could only come to the United States if the position were temporary in nature.