Speech #1100006533

The blue card workers spouse and minor children. who already live in the United States. may also apply for a temporary legal status and identification card. which would permit them to work and travel. The total number of blue cards is capped at 1.5 million over a five year period and the program sunsets after 5 years. At the end of the required work period. the blue card worker may apply for a green card to become a legal permanent resident. There are also a number of safeguards. If a blue card worker does not apply for a green card. or does not fulfill the work requirements. that individual can be deported. Likewise. a blue card holder who commits a felony. three misdemeanors. or any crime that involves bodily injury. the threat of serious bodily injury. or harm to property in excess of $500. cannot get a green card and can be deported. This program. for the first time. allows us to identify those hundreds of thousands of farm workers who now work in the shadows. It requires the farm workers to come forward and to be identified in exchange for the right to work and live legally in the United States. And it gives farmers the legal certainty they need to hire the workers they need. The program also modifies the H2A guest worker program so that it realistically responds to our agricultural needs. Currently. the H2A program is bureaucratic. unresponsive. expensive. and prone to litigation. Farmers cannot get the labor when they need It. AgJOBS offers a muchneeded reform of the outdated system. The labor certification process. which often takes 60 days or more. is replaced by an "attestation" process. The employer can file a faxback application form agreeing to abide by the requirements of the H2A program. Approval should occur in 48 to 72 hours. The interstate clearance order to determine whether there are U.S. workers who can qualify for the jobs is replaced by a requirement that the employer file a job notification with the local office of the State Employment Security Agency.