Since our last issue of the CSA NEWS, your CSA Government Relations Committee has been actively pursuing a number of advocacy matters which are described below.
SECTION 110 AMENDED
We are glad to report that Section 110 of the United States Illegal Immigration and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 has been amended, and the requirement for an automated entry-exit system at all ports of entry to the United States has been deleted.
A new bill called the "Immigration and Naturalization Service Data Management Improvement Act" was passed in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and became law on June 15, 2000. The new bill removes the exit/entry system requirement and provides for the improved use of existing data at points of entry. It also contemplates a joint government/private sector task force to study the need for additional measures and what they might be.
The CSA was part of a United States/Canada lobbying effort as a member of the Americans for Better Borders coalition that had outspoken and influential border senators and congressman as its key advocates.
This success is an important victory for snowbirds and all travelling Canadians, since Section 110, unamended, would have resulted in long line-ups at Canadian/U.S. borders and caused general interference with cross-border travel and trade.
RETIREE VISA
On January 7, 1997, U.S. Congressman Bill McCollum introduced to the United States Congress Bill H.R. 225, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act. This amendment would permit certain aliens, including Canadians, who are at least 55 years of age to obtain a four-year, non-immigrant visitor visa.
The bill provided that if you met certain criteria, you would be permitted to stay in the United States for 12 months of the year, instead of being restricted to six months in a year. The criteria were as follows:
1. Age - at least 55 years old at time of application.
2. Citizenship - Canadian (or other selected aliens).
3. Ownership - owns, or is the spouse of a person who owns, a residence in the U.S.
4. Health Insurance - has sufficient health insurance.
5. Income - has two times the income designated as the official poverty line (around $20,000 per year)
The spouse of such a person would also be eligible for the visa, regardless of their age.
That bill was in the 105th Congress and, as it did not get voted upon, ultimately the bill died with the finish of that Congress.
On January 6, 1999, the Retiree Visa Act of 1999 was introduced by Bill McCollum, and was essentially the same as the earlier bill. The bill was referred to the Committee of the Judiciary, and has sat there since. Mr. McCollum was a member of the subcommittee on immigration of the Judiciary Committee and, thus, it was hoped that some action might take place. On Tuesday, the 7th of December, 1999,