Ivor Callely
Question:76 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has made, or if he intends to make, representations to the USA to improve the existing situation in relation to intending emigrants from this country to the USA.
Written Answers. - Emigration to USA.
The prospects for Irish people wishing to emigrate to the United States were greatly improved by the passage of the US Immigration Act, 1990.
This Act provides for a substantial increase in the global number of immigrant visas issued annually by the US authorities, including increases in the allocations for various categories of workers. Most importantly from an Irish perspective, the Act provides for 40,000 special diversity-transition or "Morrison" visas to be granted annually to citizens of countries found to be disadvantaged under the terms of earlier US immigration legislation. Of these, a minimum of 40% (16,000) will be granted to Irish citizens for each of the three years ending September 1994. From October 1994, the "Morrison" visa will be replaced by a second type of visa, of which 55,000 will be made available on an annual basis to citizens of the same disadvantged countries.
In view of the very positive provisions of the 1990 Act, the question of making representations to the US authorities does not arise at this stage.