Bill Text: NJ AR147 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges President and Congress to enact legislation to help children of Filipino veterans obtain immigration visas.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-19 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee [AR147 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-AR147-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Urges President and Congress to enact legislation to help children of Filipino veterans obtain immigration visas.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution respectfully urging the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation to help children of Filipino veterans obtain immigration visas.
Whereas, Approximately 250,000 Filipinos fought on behalf of American forces in the Philippines during World War II; and
Whereas, In recognition of their service to the United States, about 26,000 Filipino nationals were granted U.S. citizenship under a 1990 immigration law; and
Whereas, Children of these Filipino nationals were only allowed to move to the United States with their parents if they were under 21 years of age; and
Whereas, Many children of these Filipino nationals have applied for green cards to come to the United States, but the average wait for application processing of applicants from the Philippines is more than two decades from the date of application; and
Whereas, Only a few thousand Filipino veterans are estimated to still be alive and living in the United States; and
Whereas, Many of these elderly veterans are still waiting to be reunited with their children; and
Whereas, Travel between the Philippines and the United States is expensive, making seeing loved ones difficult for Filipino veterans in the United States; and
Whereas, The service provided and sacrifices made by the Filipino veterans on behalf of the United States are significant and it is inexcusable to delay reunification between these veterans and their children; and
Whereas, S.733 and H.R.483 have been introduced by Congress, to exempt this limited group of adult children waiting for green cards from the annual worldwide U.S. visa limitations; and
Whereas, It is altogether fitting and proper for this House to urge the President and the Congress of the United States to enact legislation exempting the children of Filipino veterans from the U.S. visa limitations, thereby bypassing the lengthy backlog of approximately two decades of immigration requests from the Philippines; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges President and the Congress of the United States to swiftly enact S.733, H.R.483, or other legislation exempting the children of Filipino veterans from the annual worldwide U.S. visa limitations so that these adult children may be reunited with their parents in the United States.
2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the President of the United States, the presiding officer of each house of Congress, and each elected member of Congress from the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully urges Congress to pass legislation that would exempt the adult children of Filipino veterans from the annual worldwide U.S. visa limitations so that they may avoid the processing delays of their green card applications.
In 1990, 26,000 Filipino nationals were granted U.S. citizenship in recognition of their service to the United States during World War II. However, only spouses and children under 21 of these veterans were permitted to live with the veterans in the United States.
Given that these veterans of World War II are in their 80s and 90s, further delay of the processing of their children's visa applications may preclude any possibility of family reunification.
These Filipino veterans, who are U.S. citizens, deserve to see their dreams of having their all their children live in the United States fulfilled.
