Speech #1090114337

We need comprehensiveand creativestrategies to address the need to rebuild in countries on the rebound from conflicts or natural disasters. One such strategy is to tap into the store of human as well as financial resources here in the United States. We should allow. and indeed encourage. immigrants to use their skills. talents. and knowledge to help rebuild their native lands. In fact. the diaspora presents one of the best collective resources that exists: these individuals know the communities. They know the culture. They know the languagemore than any contractors and more than any humanitarian workers from the outside. no matter how well trained or how much expertise they may have. So today. I am introducing legislation that would create a "Return of Talent" visa program. The idea is simple: a Return of Talent program would allow legal immigrants in the United States to return home to help with reconstruction efforts. "Legal Permanent Residents" will be able to return temporarily to their countries after a conflict or a significant natural disaster to help rebuild. without their time out of the United States affecting their ability to meet the requirements for U.S. citizenship. Under current law. a Legal Permanent Resident who wants to apply for U.S. citizenship is required to be physically present in the United States for at least half of the five years immediately preceding the date of filing the naturalization application. This residency requirement could be particularly difficult to meet for those who may have family and friends in their country of origin who are in desperate need of help. We should not stand in their way of returning. allowing them to bring their talent and expertise home. helping them help others at a time of greatest need. Press articles have highlighted stories of such individualsengineers. bankers. teachers and translatorswho are willing to contribute to reconstruction efforts. They simply cannot do so without jeopardizing their immigration status. This legislation would encourage those skilled and committed individuals to return to their countries of origin to revive the business. industry. agriculture. education. health and other sectors that have been weakened or destroyed after years of conflict or devastating disasters. The Returin of Talent program would include any individual who demonstrates an ability and willingness to make a material contribution to the postconflict or natural disaster reconstruction in their country of origin. The program would apply to immigrants from countries where U.S. armed forces have engaged in armed conflict or peacekeeping. or countries where the United Nations Security Council has authorized peacekeeping operations in the past ten years. Immigrants from countries which received funding from the U.S. Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance also would be eligible to participate in the program. Estimates of individuals who could participate in this program are relatively low. For example. the United States admitted 2.137 Afghani and 3.494 Iraqi immigrants in 2004 who are now Legal Permanent Residents eligible to pursue U.S. citizenship. Immigrants from Indonesia numbered 2.418 and Bangladesh. 8.061 in the same year. Yet. while the program would have a small impact on the U.S. naturalization process. the contributions of even a few hundred individuals could have a tremendous positive effect on reconstruction work. In simple terms. a Return of Talent program makes sense. Everybody wins: The United States is able to support badly needed rebuilding efforts without increasing foreign aid. immigrants are able to use their skills and resources to help communities without jeopardizing their immigration status. and the people recovering from conflict and disaster receive muchneeded assistance. A Return of Talent program is an important piece of our overall strategy to stabilize and rebuild countries torn by conflict and devastated by natural disaster. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.