************************************************************** IFCSS Headquarters News Release No. 5041 Aug 24, 1993 ************************************************************** Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS) 733 15th Street, N.W., Suite 440, Washington, D.C.20005 Tel. (202)347-0017 Fax: (202)347-0018 Email: ifcss@wam.umd.edu IFCSS HQ Started to Address New-Comers' Concern Today, IFCSS president and vice president sent a letter to Mr. Michael L. Hancock, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services at the Department of State, asking him to order an assessment of the impact of the CSPA on China's future visa number availability and give favorable consideration to Chinese students who arrived in the U.S. after April 11, 1990 in future visa number allocations. The following is the full text of the letter. 08/24/93 The Honorable Michael L. Hancock Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Visa Services Department of State Washington, DC 20522-0113 Dear Mr. Hancock: As president and vice president of the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars (IFCSS), we are writing to bring to your attention a potential problem with China's visa number allocation. With the implementation of the Chinese Student Protection Act (CSPA), about 50,000 Chinese nationals and their dependents will be granted permanent residence status. While the overwhelming majority is using worldwide quota, a portion of CSPA dependents will have to use visa numbers from China's employment-based 3rd preference. This has caused some concern among Chinese students who arrived after April 11, 1990 and consequently not protected by the CSPA. As these new-comers constitute half of the Chinese student population, their concern is understandably also our organization's concern. We would like to know, as early as possible, how the CSPA will affect those who will apply for adjustment of status through normal channels. A large number of Chinese students who arrived after April 11, 1990 participated in demonstrations in Beijing and other cities during the 1989 prodemocracy movement. However, they are not asking for a blanket protection; instead, what they want to make sure is that their chance of immigration through normal channels is not negatively affected. We would appreciate it if you could instruct your office staff to conduct, in due course, an assessment of the impact of the CSPA on China's future quotas. We would also appreciate it if our concern will be considered in future visa number allocation. Thank you. Sincerely, Changsheng Lin, IFCSS President Heping Shi, IFCSS Vice President ********************************************************************* * IFCSS Headquarters Office * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * President: Lin Changsheng Vice President: Shi Heping * *-------------------------------------------------------------------* * PBS-L is IFCSS's news distribution list for individuals. To sign * * on or off from the list, please send email to listserv@ifcss.org * * leave the subject line open and put in the mail body: * * (For signing on) sub PBS-L last name first name * * (For signing off) unsub PBS-L last name first name * * For more information about IFCSS, write to ifcss-info@ifcss.org * *********************************************************************