Immigration visas to the US declined 41% in 1998, dropping from 39,000 to 23,000. Ambassador Vega explained this is as a result of new legislation that set the minimum income level for sponsors above the US average. He said only 30% of Dominican residents fulfill this requirement. He said Dominicans need to lobby to achieve a modification, such as Cubans, Haitian-Americans and Central Americans have achieved. 95% of the visas given to Dominicans are for family unification, or Dominicans requested by a relative. Dominican migration to the States is important for the local economy, as Dominicans traditionally send back hundreds of dollars a month to their relatives back home.
