THE AMERICAN QUOTA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19720, 20 August 1927, Page 13

THE AMERICAN QUOTA.

DOMINION APPLICATIONS. NEXT YEAR'S LIST FULL. ] PROVISIONS FOR VISITORS. [BY TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Figures supplied to-day by the American Consul-General, Mr. W. L. Lowrie, showed that, although the United States "immigration year" under the quota system opened on July 1, the numbers allotted to many countries were already exhausted. The allotment for New Zealand was 100 a year and enough applications had been received at the Wellington and Auckland offices to complete the quota for next year. "It is difficult," said Mr. Lowrie, "to determine just what the lodestone is, attracting so many people to the United States at present," However, two leading factors probably had much to do with this trend of travel. First, the desire of families to be united in one country, where members were living, in many instances, in three or four different lands, and, second, the very great prosperity which was being enjoyed by the United States. " Even in New Zealand there were many applicants for visas from persons born in tiie Dominion, who desired to go to the United States for permanent residence and eventually to become citizens. Percentage for Auckland. The quota control was under the jurisdiction of the American Consul-General at Wellington, who, under the regulations, assigns a certain percentage of the quota to the Auckland office and to American consular officers in other countries, for applicants for visas who were born in New Zealand. The number allotted outside New Zealand was limited to about 15 a year and there were enough applications ou file in the consular offices m other countries to exhaust this number for the next five or six years. The quota for Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 35,767. Information received from London indicated that the quota allotment for the year, except in some specially preferred cases, was already exhausted, and new applications would not be considered until after July 1, 1928. A circular received from the American Consul-General in Brussels, indicated that there were 3600 applications for visas on file, with a quota for the year of 512. The Russian quota of 2248 a year was completed for at least seven or eight years. So far as the Turkish quota was concerned, limited to 100 a year, sufficient applications had been listed to exhaust the non-preference half of the • quota for 40 years, and the preference number for the next 16 years. Travellers Not ASected. Mr. Lowrie emphasised the fact that the limitation of the number of persons allotted visas for permanent residence, did not affect in any way the applications for visas of persons travelling through the United States, or those who desired to spend a short period there. The American consular officers were • pleased to facilitate in every possible way the granting of visas to tourists and business men who desired to visit the United State for a period, as long as six months, and the requirements in these cases were not at all identical with those which must -be submitted by the immigrants -for permanent residence. Under a recent instruction from the Department of State, the fee for a transit visa was abolished. This visa permitted the holder to travel across the United States en route to some other country, other than Canada or Mexico, if the transit did not exceed a period of 30 days. The visas for business men and tourists were limited to a period of six months. Under certain circumstances and conditions, this period might be extended after arrival in the United States by the immigration authorities. Only three types of visas were issued:— For peramnent residence, for a period of six months, to tourists, business men and visitors, and for a transit period not to exceed 30 days.