Speech #910272744

A special proposal would authorize the grant of permanent resident status to all West Indian workers now in the Virgin Islands in temporary status. Sixth. In regard to refugees. the bill authorizes. increase of the seventh preference allocation in each hemisphere to 10 percent. However. it does not modify the general parole authority now set forth in the statute and does not disturb the existing arrangements for the reception of Cuban refugees. Seventh. Conditions the admission of H2 temporary workers upon a certification from the Department of Labor. This proposal would transfer final authority to determine the labor acceptability of such temporary workers from the Department of Justice to the Department of Labor. - Eighth. Provides for waiver of nonimmigrant visas for certain 90day visitors in order to encourage tourism. Ninth. Provides discretionary waiver of inadmissibility for rehabilitated criminals. prostitutes. and visa misrepresenters with no close relatives in the United States upon their showing 10 years of good behavior. Tenth. Restores adjustment of status for Western Hemisphere aliens except natives of contiguous countries and adjacent islands who are not immediate relatives. Eleventh. Eliminates quota charge upon the grant of adjustment of status to Cuban refugees. Twelfth. Proposes a number of changes urged by the Immigration and Naturalization Service to aid its enforcement responsibilities. including the following: First. new criminal penalty for knowingly employing aliens in the United States in violation of law. Second. new criminal penalty for remaining in the United States after illegal entry. Third. new criminal penalty for acceptance of unauthorized employment in the United States by a nonimmigrant. Fourth. amendment in the statute dealing with judicial review of deportation orders in order to minimize frivolous challenges. and Fifth. clarification of statute dealing with waiver of deportability for aliens with close relatives in the United States who entered this country through fraud by specifying that the waiver is discretionary and that it does not apply to independent grounds of inadmissibility. Thirteenth. Proposes a number of changes in the nationality laws in order to eliminate inequities and ambiguities.