[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 97 (Monday, July 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H5353-H5354]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 2448

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gibbons). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce H.R. 
2448, a bill to restore fairness to our immigration system. Family 
reunification is a fundamental principle of U.S. immigration law. 
Another key principle gives American citizens priority over non-
citizens when they seek to bring their relatives here.
  Most of the time, Americans get their petitions handled first.
  But an aberration arises when Americans seek to bring their unmarried 
sons and daughters here from the Philippines. In this case, U.S. 
citizens wait several years longer than legal residents.
  The Department of State reports that such U.S. citizen petitions are 
backlogged to October 1, 1987, while legal resident petitions are 
backlogged only to August 1, 1992, a difference of five years. The law 
was never designed to make citizens wait longer than legal residents, 
and we must correct this problem.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleagues to imagine how devastating it 
is to achieve American citizenship, only to find that this move 
significantly postponses your own child's visa. It is a heartbreaking 
task to have to inform constituents of this sad fact.
  My bill fixes this irregularity. Simply put, it ensures that a legal 
resident who files for a son or daughter to immigrate will not have to 
wait longer for his children to arrive after he gains U.S. citizenship.
  U.S. citizenship is a great honor. By passing H.R. 2448, we can 
ensure that it remains a great privilege as well. I urge my colleagues 
to support this legislation.

                               H.R. 2448

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. PREVENTING IMMIGRANTS FROM WAITING LONGER FOR 
                   IMMIGRANT VISAS AS A RESULT OF RECLASSIFICATION 
                   FROM FAMILY SECOND PREFERENCE TO FAMILY FIRST 
                   PREFERENCE.

       (a) In General.--Section 203 of the Immigration and 
     Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1153) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following new subsection:
       ``(h) Assuring Immigrants Do Not Have to Wait Longer for an 
     Immigrant Visa as a Result of Reclassification from Family 
     Second Preference to Family First Preference.--
     Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of a 
     petition that has been approved to accord preference status 
     under subsection (a)(2)(A) may be deemed to

[[Page H5354]]

     provide continued entitlement to status under that subsection 
     in the case of any alien petitioner who is subsequently 
     naturalized as a United States citizen, if a visa is not 
     immediately available to the beneficiary under subsection 
     (a)(1).''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     takes effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and 
     applies to petitions filed before, on, or after such date, 
     without regard to when an alien petitioner was naturalized as 
     a citizen of the United States.

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