There are two large issues that cause this problem: (1) According to the December 1997 GAO report. there are at least 600.000 farm workers in the United States illegallyand most have false. but realisticlooking. documents. The farmer can go to extreme lengths to verify his workforce. and still be vulnerable to INS enforcement action. Our bill. through an Agricultural Registry of workers. ensures that a farmer is able to get a legal. reliable workforce. and our bill ensures that these American workers are paid a premium wage and receive the benefits that they deserve. (2) Under the current system. if a farmer cannot find available American workers and does need to find temporary foreign help through H2A visas. he or she must navigate a maze of complex regulations. so much so that it takes a 300page guidebook to explain the process. He or she also has little assurance that. even after successfully completing the forms and initiating the process. that the Department of Labor will approve or deny the petitions in a timely manner. It may seem notable that we are all here together. in a bipartisan manner. from every geographic region of our great Nation. In the past. discussion of the H2A program has broken down into a partisan. polarized. gridlocked debate. and no one wins. Wages are still low for workers. and growers still need legal reliable help. I commend my colleagues.
Keywords matched
visas H2A