Speech #930091836

The October 3. 1965 Act amending the Immigration and Nationality Act. as I indicated. eliminated most of the discriminatory provisions of the law. Under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act prior to the 1965 amendment. as I indicated before. persons born in the Western Hemisphere were "nonquota" immigrants and permitted to immigrate freely. The 1965 amendmentsection 21(e) of the Act of October 3. 1965limited to 120.000 the number of special immigrants born in the independent countries of the Western Hemisphere or in the Canal Zoneexcept for immediate relatives of citizens of the United States. who were admissible in any one year. Labor certification was required for such immigrants. Since there was no provision for a preference system or for a limitation on the number of immigrants admissible from any one country. admission is on a firstcome. firstserved basis. While it was never the intent of Congress to discriminate against persons born in the Western Hemisphereand. in fact. this firstcome. firstserved basis. wag intended to benefit persons born in the Western Hemisphere. in effect it has proven to be disadvantageous to them. As of July 1. 1973. visa applications filed prior to September 8. 1971 are being processed for persons born in the Western Hemisphere. For most countries in the Eastern Hemisphere. all preference categories are current except for third and nonpreference preferences. which are being processed for applications filed prior to February 1. 1973. Additionally. while persons born in the Eastern Hemisphere are eligible for adjustment of status in the United States upon application. if eligible. and if. an immigrant visa is available to him at the time of approval of the application. persons born in the Western Hemisphere or the adjacent islands must leave the United States and appear before a consular officer overseas in order to adjust their immigration status. This is not only a great inconvenience but a most expensive procedureespecially in my State of Hawaii. A person born in the Western Hemisphere. who resides in Hawaii and seeks to adjust his status to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. must make a 2.500 to 3.000mile trip to do so.