TNAG-2182-FCO40-3119-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 144

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2421

OF 030754Z AUGUST 90

CONFIDENTIAL

нко

340/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

06 AUG 1990

AL

DESK OFFICER A

INDEX

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ALD

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1317

025750

MDHIAN 1227

INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON

INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

HKGO LONDON PERSONAL FOR YAXLEY

INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT: LATEST US IMMIGRATION PROPOSAL

1. WE HAVE HAD A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH DICK WILLIAMS, CHIEF OF THE CONSULAR SECTION OF USCG (NOT THE CONSUL GENERAL HIMSELF WITH THE SAME NAME), CONCERNING THE LATEST IMMIGRATION BILL PUT TO THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

2. WE WERE TOLD THAT THE HOUSE BILL, SPONSORED BY CONGRESSMAN MORRISON, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE IMMIGRATION BILL APPROVED BY SENATE UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF SENATORS KENNEDY AND SIMPSON. WHILE THE SENATE BILL WOULD INCREASE THE IMMIGRANT VISA QUOTA WORLD-WIDE FROM 200,000 TO 630,000 PER ANNUM, CONGRESSMAN MORRISON PROPOSED THAT THE ANNUAL QUOTA SHOULD BE 1,000,000.

3. THE HOUSE BULL ALSO CONTAINED THREE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS SPECIFIC FOR HONG KONG. FIRST, THE BILL PROPOSED THAT THE NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT VISAS WHICH MIGHT BE GRANTED TO HONG KONG BORN RESIDENTS BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT LEVEL OF 5,000 TO 20,000 PER ANNUM. SECOND, A PERSON GRANTED WITH AN IMMIGRATION VISA COULD DEFER HIS DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG FOR UP TO TEN YEARS EXPIRING ON 1 JANUARY 2002. THIRD, AN ADDITIONAL QUOTA OF 15,000 PLUS DEPENDENTS WOULD BE GIVEN TO KEY LOCAL EMPLOYEES FOR US FIRMS IN HONG KONG.

BENEFICIARIES OF THE ADDITIONAL 15,000 QUOTA SHOULD COME FROM ESTABLISHED US FIRMS OF SUBSTANTIAL SIZE. THE 15,000 QUOTA WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO DEFER DEPARTURE UP TO 2002.

4,. WE WERE ALSO TOLD THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT THE HOUSE BILL WOULD BE PASSED IN THE CURRENT CALENDAR YEAR BECAUSE IT WAS

ATTACHED TO A LARGER BILL EMBRACING OTHER CONTENTIOUS ELEMENTS. MOREOVER, ITS SPONSOR, CONGRESSMAN MORRISON, WAS FACING RE-ELECTION THIS YEAR AND COULD BE DISTRACTED. WILLIAMS ADDED THAT THERE WAS DEEP APPRECIATION OF HONG KONG'S PROBLEMS AMONG MANY INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES OF CONGRESS. THE CHANCES OF A SEPARATE

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CONFIDENTIAL