Mr. Speaker. I am offering an amendment to H.R. 2202. the Immigration in the National Interest Act. as part of this en bloc amendment to correct an injustice done to the Polish community during the 1995 diversi visa process. %uring the visa lottery. the State Department committed an error which resulted in 49.895 Poles being notified that they were eligible for visas. These individuals were not told that a maximum of 3.850 visas were available. or how many of their countrymen they were competing against. Thousands sent in the $130 fee. only to be denied a visa. For all other nationalities. approximately two to four times as many applicants were notified as there were visas distributed. More than 12 times as many Poles were notified than the quantity of visas designated for this nationality. The State Departments error was completely preventable and never should have occurred. Therefore. my amendment would require the Department of State to refund the $130 fee paid by the thousands of Polish applicants who did not receive a visa. In addition. the Department would be required to review and revise its procedures to ensure that this type of situation does not happen againto Poles or anyone else. Mr.
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visa visas Immigration