Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments

Immigration and Nationality Act Amendments - Limits, under the Immigration and Nationality Act, the number of aliens born in any foreign state or dependent area located in the Eastern Hemisphere who may be issued immigrant visas or who may otherwise acquire the status of lawfully admitted aliens for permanent residence to 45,000 in the first three quarters of any fiscal year and to 170,000 in any fiscal year. Limits such immigrant visas to aliens born in any foreign state of the Western Hemisphere or in the Canal Zone, or in a dependent area located in the Western Hemisphere, to 32,000 in the first three quarters of any fiscal year and to 120,000 in any fiscal year.

Provides that, exclusive of conditional entries, the number of aliens entering the United States chargeable to any single foreign state may not exceed 20,000 and the number chargeable to any single dependent area may not exceed 600 in any fiscal year.

Sets forth criteria for determining which foreign state or dependent area will be charged for each immigrant.

Redefines the various preference classes of aliens. Revises the order of issuance and the allocation of visa numbers to such preference classes.

Gives first preference for visas to families of citizens and residents of the United States. Gives next preference to persons entering the United States who have a job offer. Extends subsequent preference to refugees and persons whose entry will not have an adverse effect on the work force in the United States.

Authorizes the Attorney General to admit to the United States any immigrant otherwise inadmissable solely because he was not entitled to an exemption to quota limitations if he could not have known before he left a foreign country to enter the United States that he would be excluded by such limitations.

States that aliens are ineligable for visas when seeking to enter for employment if the Secretary of Labor has determined on the basis of current labor market data that there are or will be sufficient qualified workers in the United States available for such employment or the employment of such alien would adversely affect wage and working conditions of similarly employed American workers. Directs the Secretary to require the Attorney General to notify the Secretary whenever petitions have been approved for 25 aliens destined to a single employing establishment in any fiscal year.

Provides that when changing the status of Cuban aliens under special provisions of the law to that of permanent resident alien, the Secretary of State shall not reduce the number of visas to be issued.

Establishes for three fiscal years a program under which aliens who have been admitted to the Virgin Islands in a nonimmigrant status and have an indefinite labor certification may have their status and that of their families changed to permanent resident or be issued immigrant visas notwithstanding immigration quotas.