Speech #930120755

Mr. Chairmain. and urge its prompt passage. This legislation is urgently needed to bring uniformity and equity in the application of our system of immigration to aliens from all countries throughout the world. The basic purpose of this legislation is to provide an adequate mechanism in the form of a preference system to implement the Western Hemisphere numerical ceiling of 120.000 immigrants per year. Unfortunately. when the 1965 Immigration Act was enacted by the 89th Congress. no preference system and no per country limit were provided when. by amendment in the other body. a numerical ceiling was first applied to admissions from the Western Hemisphere. As a result. natives of countries in the Western Hemisphere have been severely disadvantaged and our diplomatic relations have also suffered. In effect. since 1968 the United States has had two different immigration systems. For Europe and the Eastern Hemisphere we have an annual ceiling of 170.000. with a 20.000 per country limitation. and a sevenpoint preference system whereby close relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens and those having talents and skills needed in this country. are given preference over others. However. natives of the Western Hemisphere. no matter what their relationship or skill have to line up in the order of qualification with no preferences whatsoever among the 120.000 maximum annual admissions. As a result. the Canadian son of a U.S. citizen or the Chilean wife of a permanent resident alien. is required to get at the end of the line after other intending aliens from the Western Hemisphere whether close relatives or not. Today that waiting list includes approximately 200.000 aliens and only those who qualified prior to October 15. 1971 can obtain immigrant visas. H.R. 981 will correct this situation by applying to the Western Hemisphere the identical preference system and 20.000 annual per country limitation as have been in effect for the Eastern Hemisphere since 1965. A point of serious discussion and careful study by our Committee was the question of whether Canada and Mexico. our neighboring countries. should be subject to the same 20.000 per country ceiling as the rest of the countries of the world. or be given special favored treatment.