The next wave of Korean immigration is marked by the passage of the 1965 immigration act. The 1965 immigration law removed "national origins" as the basis of American immigration legislation; in its place a seven point preference system which included professionals in undersubscribed categories. Designed to facilitate the reunification of families separated during World War II, proponents of the act had predicted that European immigration would continue to predominate. Additionally, it was believed that its implementation would benefit the United Sates by bringing in educated and skilled workers to fill labor needs in the sectors of the economy which were enjoying relative prosperity. Few anticipated the rush of immigration that would come from Asia with the passage of the 1965 immigration law. Since 1968, when the law was actually implemented, Koreans have become one of the fastest growing Asian groups in the United States, surpassed only by Filipino immigration. In 1965, it is estimated that there were under 25,000 Koreans living in the United States. By 1970 the figure had doubled to 50,000. In 1980 the number had increased over six-fold to 357,393. That figure doubled again in 1990, and it is now estimated that there are over a million Koreans living in the United States.