US Immigration Act of 1965

The Immigration Act of 1965 (also known as the Hart-Cellar Act) abolished the national-origin quotas that had been in place in the United States since 1882. Immigrants were to be admitted by their skills and professions rather than by their nationality.

An annual limitation was established of 170,000 visas for immigrants from eastern hemisphere countries with no more than 20,000 per country. By 1968, the annual limitation from the western hemisphere was set at 120,000 immigrants, with visas available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 76 to 18. The House voted was 326 to 69. President Lyndon Johnson signed the legislation.

The Act was spawned by the Civil Rights Movement.