CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON
TELNO 763
OF 03125OZ MAY 90
CONFIDENTIAL
нко
HED 34+011
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 1 APR 1990
249
060710
MDHOAN 8135
DESK OFFICER
REGISTRY
AND TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
FOR: S PATTISON, WASHINGTON FROM: J MORRIS HKD
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT: US IMMIGRATION RULES PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
1.
YOUR TELELETTER OF 30 APRIL TO ROSALIND MARSDEN REFERS. ROSS ROGERS OF THE US EMBASSY HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH US ABOUT THE MORRISON BILL AND THE FRANK AMENDMENT. HE SAID THE ISSUE HAD GENERATED CONSIDERABLE CABLE TRAFFIC BETWEEN THE HONG KONG CONSULATE, THE EMBASSY HERE AND WASHINGTON.
2.
ACCORDING TO ROGERS, THE ADMINISTRATION IS FAVOURABLY DISPOSED TOWARDS TAKING SOME MEASURES TO GIVE HONG KONG PEOPLE THE KIND OF ASSURANCES WE ARE SEEKING, NOTWITHSTANDING THE INHERENT DIFFICULTIES POSED BY US GLOBAL IMMIGRATION POLICY WHICH ENCOURAGES IMMIGRATION. BUT THERE ARE SOME DOUBTS WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION AS TO WHETHER THE MORRISON BILL AND THE FRANK AMENDMENT WILL IN FACT BENEFIT HONG KONG IN THE WAY WE WANT. THIS IS WHY THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NOT YET DECIDED WHETHER TO SUPPORT THE MORRISON BILL. THEY ARE ALSO CONCERNED THAT IF CONGRESS PASSES THE MORRISON BILL. CONGRESSMEN MIGHT CONSIDER THAT THEY HAVE DONE ENOUGH FOR HONG KONG AND BE DISINCLINED TO PASS ANY FURTHER, MORE USEFUL MEASURES IN FUTURE.
3.
ROGERS EXPLAINED THAT THE MORRISON BILL AND THE FRANK AMENDMENT DID NOT REPRESENT ANY MARKED ADVANTAGE OVER THE EXISTING FLEXIBILITY IN THE IMMIGRATION RULES. INDEED THEY HAD SOME DISADVANTAGES. IMMIGRANT VISAS APPARENTLY REQUIRE A PETITIONER/BENEFICIARY RELATIONSHIP EITHER BASED ON FAMILY REUNION (THE FIRST, SECOND, FOURTH AND FIFTH PREFERENCES) OR ON US COMPANIES SEEKING SKILLED PROFESSIONALS OR WORKERS IN SHORT SUPPLY IN THE STATES (THE THIRD AND SIXTH PREFERENCES). BECAUSE OF THE SMALL ANNUAL QUOTA FOR HONG KONG THERE IS ALREADY A VERY LONG WAITING LIST FOR VISAS. BY INCREASING THE ANNUAL QUOTA TO 20,000, THE EFFECT OF THE MORRISON BILL WOULD SIMPLY BE TO ENABLE PEOPLE WHO HAD BEEN WAITING YEARS FOR A VISA TO EMIGRATE MORE
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