U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, has joined with California Congressman Mike Honda in introducing the Reuniting Families Act. The goal of the legislation is to reduce wait times in the U.S. immigration system that keeps legal immigrants and their loved ones overseas separated for years. The measure would also address immigration provisions that prevent family members from obtaining visas.

“Our country’s family-based immigration system has not been updated in 20 years,” Abercrombie said.
The act also recaptures unused and employment-based visas from fiscal years 1992 to 2007 and for future years, “rolls over” unused visa allotment to the next year. It also reclassifies spouses and minor children of green-card holders as immediate relatives.
“Legal, family-based immigration is one of the ways we keep America strong,” Abercrombie said. “Families pool resources to start and run businesses that create American jobs, purchase homes and send their American children to college.”
This year six Asian countries are among those with the worst backlogs for family reunification, including the Philippines, China and India. For example, it takes an estimated 15 years for unmarried adult children of a qualifying U.S. citizen to obtain a visa to come to the U.S from the Philippines; 22 years for married children and their family; and 22 years for siblings of a U.S. citizen.
“It is a tragic irony that in a country in which so many people talk about family values, we have allowed an immigration system to persist that prevents U.S. citizens and their families from being together.” Abercrombie said.