US Immigration and Nationality Act (Hart-Celler) and its effects on postwar migration (1965–1980)

1. National-origins quota system shapes pre-1965 immigration

   Jan 1, 1964Labels: National-origins quota

   • TIME Archive
   • MPI

2. Hart–Celler Act signed into law

   Oct 3, 1965Labels: Hart Celler, Lyndon B

   • Congress gov
   • USCIS

3. Preference system and hemispheric caps begin transition

   Dec 1, 1965Labels: Preference system

   • USCIS
   • Wikipedia

4. Cuban Adjustment Act creates special path to residency

   Nov 2, 1966Labels: Cuban Adjustment

   • Britannica
   • LOC Guide

5. National-origins quotas fully abolished

   Jul 1, 1968Labels: Abolition of

   • Wikipedia
   • MPI

6. Family-based admissions become the system’s centerpiece

   Jan 1, 1970Labels: Family reunification

   • MPI
   • USCIS

7. Indochina Migration and Refugee Assistance Act enacted

   May 23, 1975Labels: Indochina Act, Gerald Ford

   • Wikipedia
   • GovInfo

8. Per-country cap extended to Western Hemisphere

   Oct 21, 1976Labels: 1976 Amendments

   • Immigration History
   • USCIS

9. Worldwide ceiling replaces hemisphere-based limits

   Oct 1, 1978Labels: 1978 Amendments, Worldwide ceiling

   • USCIS
   • Immigration History

10. Refugee Act of 1980 creates a permanent refugee system

    Mar 17, 1980Labels: Refugee Act, Jimmy Carter

    • GovInfo
    • USCIS

11. Mariel boatlift tests U.S. entrant and parole policies

    Apr 15, 1980Labels: Mariel boatlift

    • History com
    • Florida Memory

12. 1965–1980 framework reshapes postwar U.S. migration patterns

    Dec 31, 1980Labels: 1965 1980

    • MPI
    • USCIS