Speech #1010044284

If he asks for 5 percent or more. unless Congress disapproves. 5 percent goes into effect and Congress has to approve anything over that. The second amendment is a more substantive amendment and it has to do with the point system. Basically under the current point system. we set up a procedure whereby we rate potential immigrants on education. on needed skills. et cetera. but we do not necessarily allocate visas to the people who score highest on these individual ratings. So what this amendment does. recognizing the Simon amendment. is that it allocates 20 percent of the 54.000 slots to be granted under this to the people who simply score highest on the test. And then it allocates the other 80 percent to those who score 60 points or more. It simply says if you are going to have a test on the needs of the American economy. on distinguished education and skills than let people in who meet the test and who score the highest grades. The next amendment has to do with physicians and nurses. The amendment admits up to 5.000 additional health care providersup to 4.000 nurses and up to 1.000 doctorsas additional immigrants based on the condition that these individuals practice in health manpower shortage areas. and that they stay in these areas for at least 10 years. This amendment does not preempt current State licensing standards. There is a health care manpower shortage throughout the country. We have 83 entire areas of nonmetropolitan areas in Texas that are designated as medically short. What this would allow is that physicians and nurses that meet the skill levels required by the States could come in and practice in a rural. underserved area for 10 years and become American citizens. The final part of it creates a new category with 2.000 visas for investors who invest either in rural areas or in areas that have an unemployment level of 1 /2 times the national average. with special attention given to rural areas that have high unemployment. These investors would also be required to create 10 jobs and put capital in of at least $500.000. So we are talking about a new investor category.