Speech #1010216767

I will not take much time to explain my amendment. and I urge its adoption by the House Mr. Chairman. in 1986. Congress created the NP5 Program as part of the Immigration Reform and Control Act. The purpose of this temporary program was to enhance immigration from nations which were adversely affected by the 1965 Immigration Act. The Immigration and Naturalization Service identified 36 adversely affected countries. The NP5 Program authorized a total of 40.000 visas during its 4year existence. It was an important and worthwhile program and greatly enhanced immigration from these adversely affected countries. and expired this past Sunday. the end of the fiscal year. H.R. 4300 does not extend the NP5 Program. The problem is this: Several applicants for NP5 visas were notified that they were eligible for a visa under the program. However. before these individuals could respond. the State Department announced that all of the eligible and available visas had been allocated. Consequently. there are probably on the order of 1.000 individuals in these 36 adversely affected countries who were promised a visaonly to have their hopes dashed by this bureaucratic snafu. My amendment merely authorizes the State Department to award visas to these individuals who were so notified. It is a humane and. I might add. fair response to these people who had such high hopes of coming to America.