WASHINGTON (AP) – Sen. Edward Kennedy on Saturday urged Congress to take swift action on an immigration reform plan he and Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain have proposed that would allow temporary visas for foreign workers and tighten the nation’s borders.

“My family came to America from Ireland many years ago,” Kennedy, D-Mass., said in the Democratic Hispanic weekly radio address. “This is why immigration has always been an important issue to me.”

The Kennedy-McCain plan would allow undocumented workers to eventually apply for work visas and permanent residency if they meet certain requirements. Illegal alien workers would be allowed to stay in the U.S. for as long as six years, according to the Kennedy-McCain bill, and would later be required to seek green cards for permanent residency status.

The proposal is endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Kennedy said, and more than 60 other groups.

“”We believe that when people have been in our country working and as productive members of their communities, they should be allowed to become full members of our society,” said Kennedy.

The Senate is expected to tackle the issue of immigration early next year.