TNAG-0906-FCO40-1116-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 55

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The system works like this.

We receive a petition approved in

the U.S. for a certain person; depending on the preference, families (spouse and minor children) can be included. We send a packet of forms to the person named in the petition, basically asking for the return of a completed biographic form (for internal name checks) and a form indicating that the person has all the necessary documentation. Cnce the name checks are completed and we are informed that the beneficiary of the petition has all the necessary documents, we report that person along with others to the Department of State as "quali- fied" and request an immigrant visa number. We do not report

by name, but rather by preference and filing date of the petition. Thus, cur monthly report will request sɔ many first preference numbers by filing date, all chargeable to China, etc. Every American Embassy and Consulate handling immigrant visas does the same thing. The Department on a monthly basis records all this and then decides how many numbers can be allocated monthly. When there is a greater demand than supply (20,000. annually per country of birth), the Department will indicate in the enclosed Visa Bulletin that, for example, fifth prefer- ence numbers chargeable to the annual limitation for China can be allocated only for those persons with a petition filing date before August 15, 1973.

The system is mechanical and basically works well. One problem with it, however, is that future allocations of numbers cannot be predicted since the system depends on monthly reports on a world-wide basis. For example, we and the Department do not know how many persons born in China will be reported qualified next month by our other missions, such as Singapore. London, Bogota, etc.

With regard to persons coming here from China for immigrant visa processing up until late last year, as you know, not that many persons came from China for travel or family reunification abroad. The attitude of People's China changed and by the beginning of this year several thousand persons from China came monthly to the Consulate General for immigrant visa process- ing. In March, when the U.S. and the P.R.C. established diplomatic relations, our new Embassy in Beijing began to process and issue immigrant visas. At the same time, we ceased to transit any information to potential applicants about applying here and began to transfer immigrant visa petitions to the Embassy. Nevertheless, people continue to come from China to Hong Kong for U.S. immigrant visa processing. Some điâ not know they should go to Beijing and others felt that it was too long a trip. The vast majority of persons who emigrate from China to the U.S. are from Kwangtung Province. We have now opened a Consulate General in Guangzhou, but it will be some months before it is staffed and has the space to handle immigrant visas.