Immigration & Naturalization Act of 1990
- In his statement on signing the Immigration Act of 1990, President George Bush said that the objectives of the legislation were the "cultivation of a more competitive economy, support for the family as the essential unit of society, and swift and effective punishment for drug-related and other violent crime." He elaborated by adding that the act increased the number of visas allocated on the basis of family ties or immigrant's skills that would fill the needs of the U. S. economy.
- Michael Greenwood of the University of Colorado states in an analysis he wrote that the law maintained the "strong orientation toward family reunification" of the previous law but allocated more visas for "skill-based Immigrants ... and source-country diversity." He explained that the law dramatically increased the total number of visas allocated annually from 270,000 to 675,000.
- Greenwood's analysis noted above found that by 1996, overall immigration had increased by about 35 percent. Of the skilled worker visas issued, health professionals saw the greatest increase, while Mexico and the Philippines benefited the most from family issued visas allowances.
