Mr. Speaker. H.R. 2429. the NATO Special Immigrant Amendments of 1998. was introduced by our colleague. the gentleman from Virginia . The bill would allow aliens who are civilian employees of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and have worked for many years in the United States to retire here with their families as special immigrants. The number of special immigrant visas available each year. currently about 10.000. would not be increased. Currently aliens who have been longtime employees in the United States of numerous international organizations are eligible to retire here as special immigrants. NATO employees are also deserving. and should be granted this same privilege. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization kept the peace in Europe for four decades. saving untold American lives. We should now bestow this small honor on its employees as well. According to testimony received at the hearing of the Subcommittee on Immigration Claims held on H.R. 429. the total number of people who would benefit from this bill is about 130. Also at the hearing. Paul Virtue of the Immigration and Naturalization Service stated. "We do not oppose this proposal and do not foresee any budgetary or resource impact on the Service if this bill should be enacted." Mr. Speaker. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 429.
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immigrant Immigration immigrants Naturalization Immigrant visas