Speech #1020086600

Mr. President. today marks an important day in American immigration law when the full scope of the Immigration Act of 1990 comes into forcethe most sweeping reform of our Nations immigration laws in 66 years. Although some provisions of the act are already in force. the major changes take effect beginning today. This legislation represents the culmination of a decadelong effort to achieve immigration reform. and I commend all those in the Senate and House of Representatives whose efforts were essential for this bipartisan achievement. particularly my colleagues Senator SIMPSON and Senator SIMON on the Senate Immigration Subcommittee. and former Congressman Bruce Morrison. who was chairman of the House Immigration Subcommittee. Our goal was to reform the current immigration system so that it would more faithfully serve the national interest. and be more flexible and open to immigrants from nations which are now shortchanged by current law. The provisions of the new law will accomplish these objectives. while also maintaining the priority we have traditionally given to those with family connections in the United Statesand without departing from any of the basic goals of fairness established in the 1965 reforms. By redressing the imbalances which have inadvertently developed in recent years. we will again open our doors to those who no longer have immediate family ties to the United States. By placing more emphasis on the particular skills and qualities that independent immigrants possess. we will bring our present laws more in line with the Nations economic needs. The visa numbers currently reserved for family members of recent immigrants. as established in the 1965 act. will not be reduced. This law will add visas. In fact. it represents the first major expansion of our immigration system in a quarter century. It is a careful and balanced expansion that protects the national interest while promoting the goal of family reunification. Under the terms of this legislation. during the first 3 years. beginning in 1992. legal immigration will increase from current levels of approximately 490.000 to 700.000. Beginning in 1995. a permanent level of 675.000 will be set.a 38percent increase in legal immigration to the United States. The admission of immediate relatives of U.S. citizens will remain unrestricted. despite the establishment of a worldwide ceiling. Although a new national level of immigration of 675.000 will be established for the first time. the spouses. minor children and parents of U.S. citizens will remain unrestricted. If their admission levels increase during the coming years. any squeeze under the cap will be shared equitably by other categories of immigrants. But if the projected growth of immediate relatives continues and the squeeze becomes too great in some future year. the cap will automatically be increased accordingly. In addition. the law increases by nearly fourfold the number of skilled workers and socalled diversity immigrants. The admission of persons on the basis of their skills and talents will go from 54.000 each year to 195.000. The current limitation of 216.000 on other family preferences will be increased permanently to 260.000--a 20percent increase. This will double the visa numbers for second preference relativesthe spouses and minor children of permanent residentsthus reducing the backlogs in Mexico and other high demand countries. as well as the worldwide backlog for this category. The law also establishes a family fairness policy to protect immediate family members of beneficiaries of the amnesty under the 1986 act. Those family members are here illegally. and they were protected only by administrative stay of deportation. with no legal status. and with a cutoff date of 1988. The new law gives them a permanent legal status. with a cutoff for eligibility of May 5. 1988. The legislation brings many other reforms to our immigration laws. Among the most important are the following provisions: Transitional visas40.000 a year for the next 3 years--will be made available to applicants from adversely affected countries. including Ireland. Italy. Poland. and 30 other nations. Beginning in 1995. this program will be expanded into a diversity program with 55.000 visas a year available to these nations and the much larger group of nations that do not currently use their full allotments of visas because of the restrictions of present law. A new independent commission is established to require Congress to review immigration laws and policies every 3 years. Controls on H1 temporary professional visas are strengthened by tightening the definition of "professions of exceptional merit and ability" and by placing a cap of 65.000 visas annually on this category. The bill provides significant reforms in nonimmigrant visa procedures. and strengthens and simplifies the current labor certification process. Ten thousand "Job creation" visas are provided for investors who invest in enterprises. especially in depressed rural or urban areas. which create a minimum of 10 new jobs for Americans. Visa numbers for Hong Kong are doubled to 20.000. and delayed visas are provided for Hong Kong residents working for the United States Government or United States businesses. so that they will be able to obtain visas if they wish to leave after Hong Kong returns to Chinese control. A clear policy is established for granting temporary haven to foreign nationals unable to return safely to their native countries because of violence or upheaval. The annual number of asylum applicants who can adjust their status to permanent residence is increased to 10.000. and the current backlog of applicants is removed. Administrative naturalization procedures are created. to reduce naturalization backlogs. while preserving the right for court citizenship ceremonies. Reforms are achieved in the areas of deportation and criminal aliens. The exclusion categories are reformed and updated to end outdated ideological. medical and communicable disease provisions. In sum. the farreaching provisions of the new law preserve the immigration rights of those who have close family connections in this country. while opening up new opportunities at long last for immigration from countries which have contributed so much to America in the past. but which have been shut out almost entirely in recent years. From the earliest days of our history. America has been a beacon of hope and opportunity to people in other lands. All of us are proud of our immigrant heritage. We honor it most by doing all we can to preserve that heritage. to build upon it. and to strengthen it for the future. The new immigration act that takes effect today is an impressive step toward achieving these enduring goals. and all of us hope that It fulfills its great promise.