Speech #1060000599

Mr. Speaker. today I am introducing legislation to create a 4year nonimmigrant visa to allow various people to spend some of their retirement years in the United States. This legislation is meant to make it easier for individuals who already enjoy the ability to spend time in the U.S. to have a 4year nonimmigrant visa to allow them to spend larger periods of time here. Currently. Canadians may stay continuously in the United States for 6 months each year without a passport or visa. Visitors from countries participating in the Visa Waiver Pilot Program (VWPP) can stay in the U.S. continuously for a 90day period without a visa. Since this visa is only intended for retirees. applicants would have to be at least 55 years of age to qualify. The fact that these individuals can. in some ways. already spend some of their retirement in the U.S. reinforces the fact that this legislation is merely meant to reduce some of the procedural hurdles which currently deter foreign retirees from spending additional time here. For example. many German citizens use the Visa Waiver Pilot Program to come to Florida for 90 days at a time. Many of these individuals would like to spend more than 90 days in the U.S. but are scrupulous about not overstaying their visit. These foreign retirees leave the U.S. within 90 days. spend some time in their country and then come back to the United States for another 90 days. Many of these individuals may end up spending a large amount of time in the U.S. using the VWPP but they can do so only by constantly going back and forth from their country to the United States. Of course. foreign citizens also use the B2 visitors visa to spend time for pleasure in the U.S. Again. the use of the B2 visa requires the holder to return to their home after a relatively short period of time before coming back to the U.S. The 4year visa period proposed in the legislation is intended to reduce the need for foreign retirees to frequently travel back and forth from the U.S. to their home country in order to comply with U.S. immigration requirements. At the same time. a 4year period would ensure that retirees making use of this visa do go home periodically to renew their status by demonstrating that they meet the requirements outlined in this proposal. such as residence in a foreign country which the alien has no intention of abandoning. The visa would be renewable as long as the application was filed from the retirees country of citizenship. Mr. Speaker. there are clearly important practical and policy distinctions between longterm nonimmigrants and permanent residents holding green cards. This legislation does not aim to change that. For example. an important distinction between these nonimmigrant foreign retirees and permanent residents is that the amount of time they spend in the United States would not accrue for naturalization purposes. Also. a green card confers important benefits on permanent residents. such as the ability to engage in employment or receive government aid. which would not be available to a nonimmigrant under this legislation. This bill would not provide work authorization or eligibility for any Federal meanstested programs. Instead. these nonimmigrants would be required to own a residence in the United States. maintain health coverage. and receive income at least twice the Federal poverty level. In its simplest terms. this visa would serve as a much needed mechanism in which foreign retirees would have the opportunity to comfortably reside in the United States. Let me give you an example of how this will work by using August and Gerda Welz as an example. August and Gerda Welz have spent more than $380.000 in the United States since taking up a residence in Palm Coast.