[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              REINTRODUCTION OF SPOUSAL REUNIFICATION ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask that my colleagues join 
me in supporting legislation that I reintroduced today that would 
permit the admission into the United States of nonimmigrant visitors 
who are the spouses and children of permanent resident aliens residing 
and working in this country.
  This legislation is intended to fill a void in our current 
immigration policy that has resulted in permanent resident aliens, 
people who have come into this country legally and who are gainfully 
employed, being separated from their spouses and children often for 
periods of several years. This bill would simply make it easier for 
family members to come to the United States on a temporary basis with 
provisions to penalize those who overstay their visas. Its goal is to 
alleviate the human hardship of prolonged family separation.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation would eliminate the implication that the 
existence of a petition for permanent residence implies that an 
applicant will not return to his or her home nation and would remain in 
the United States after the expiration of a temporary visa. This 
equitable solution simply grants to immigrant family members the same 
opportunity to visit the United States as all others desiring to come 
here as visitors or students. The legislation anticipates the 
possibility that some may violate the terms of their visas by 
overstaying the period for which the visa provides. It penalizes 
spouses or children of permanent residents who overstay their visas by 
allowing the Secretary of State to delay their permanent visa petitions 
for one year if visa durations are violated.
  Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues may remember, last year in the Omnibus 
Appropriations bill, Congress took a step in alleviating this hardship. 
The Omnibus bill created a new V nonimmigrant visa category. This new 
visa would be available to spouses and minor children of legal 
permanent residents who have been waiting 3 years or more for an 
immigrant visa. The recipients of this temporary visa would be 
protected from deportation and granted work authorization until 
immigration visa or adjustment of status processing is completed.
  However, while this new program has good intentions, Mr. Speaker, 3 
years is still too long to be apart from one's loved ones. My bill 
would immediately expedite the process in allowing foreign-born 
immigrants to see their family for a short period of time before they 
are eligible for the V visa. My legislation would not nullify the V 
visa, but rather provide for temporary visas in the interim.
  Mr. Speaker, I am hoping that this proposal will receive strong 
support from Members of Congress, particularly members of our Caucus on 
India and Indian-Americans, and other Members who agree with the need 
to address this inequity. The issue of spousal and child reunification 
has been identified as one of the top domestic priorities of the Asian-
Indian community in the United States. With the India caucus members 
working together, enactment of this bill would be an opportunity for 
the caucus to make its presence felt in another substantive way. 
Furthermore, this proposal has already received significant support 
from some of America's major corporations, particularly in the 
information and communications sectors, who recognize the importance of 
allowing their valued employees to have greater contact with their 
families.
  The bill is, by its very nature, an interim measure in order to allay 
some of the misunderstandings that may arise. It should be pointed out 
that the legislation will not result in an increase in the number of 
immigrants admitted annually. It will not have an impact on the labor 
market, and it will not have any adverse effects on any government 
social programs since the spouses would not be entitled to these 
benefits. It is a very modest proposal intended only to bring some 
relief to families separated by unfortunate administrative delays.

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