Speech #1050119670

Chairman. I woult like to coinmend the gentleman fom iuxas (Mr. LAMAR SMITII. the chairman of tlte Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims. for his work in developing title Important legislation to extend the visa waiver pilot program. I would like to add Parenthetically. Mr. Chairman. imy particular thanks to tite gentleman from Texas for his kindness. courtesies. and his consiheratlon of the issues that I brought before him. He has been accommodating In listening to concerns and suggestions those of us from Ilawall have expressed tio him through haarings last year In which Hawaii Lleutenani Governor Mazie Hitrono presented testlitony for the State. as well as through discusslons we have had in the Committee on the JudIciarys consideration of the bill. and In subsequent discussion. I am engaging the gentleman from Texas (Chairman ShirH) today to further emphasize the Importance not only of the changes the committee has recommended. but also of the need to expand the number of countries allowed to participate in the expedited entry procedures accorded visa waiver pilot program participants. The committee has wisely reooimendimd that the INS undertake compiling visa overstay rates for those countries of which we still require visas for entering the ctuntry. .tnd I think the gentleman from Texas kMr. SMITH) has made quite extensive remarks already on that subject. I am certain tat. the Committee on the Judiciary will monitor closely expeditioub implementation of tb requirement. The INS has not been timely in completing an interagency report on reform issues which would have aided Ilouse consideration of this bill. I trust overstny statlatics will be the basis fur changes In the future by which countries will qualify for the waiver program based on how well foreign citizens comply with visa ruquirements. Instead of the current systcm. under which qualification Is based on the percentage of applications for visas which are rejected by the State Department. Rejections ate based oft oft en aubjeiLive criteria. as was illustrated last week when a mediation panel found a U.S. consular official in the Sao Paolo. Brazil. visa office was unjustly dismissed from his position for having critlcized the visa approval system as being vaique ani having Inconsistent criteria used there. criteria such mm labeling some nonimmigrant applicants as "looks poor." "talks pootly." or "looks rough." Moving away from such a seiously flawed system would be welcome. Representing an area very heavily dependent on tourism. particularly on tourists from Asia. I and a number of others here in l ihe Chamber have been working Lo brigi Soutll Kolta Into the visa waiver irtgram. The Seoul enmbassy has the highest number of applications for nonimmigration visa of any U.S. embassy. Approximately 600.000 visa applications were filed there last year. many of them for visitor visas. This shows not only the Importance of Korean travel to our country. but. also the need to expedite the System for allowing Korean visitors into the United States for tourism. as well as for business and commercial purposes.