We have some clients who run a small (~$1.5M)organic farm.
They have legal green card workers from Mexico. The pay for the airfare and other costs to bring these (mostly long-time) workers into the country and then send them home over the winter. They provide furnished rental houses in the area for the workers. These are all comparable to the other homes in the area. The have a chef on staff and this chef is responsible for a huge gourmet lunch every day. The owners eat with the workers. Some of the longest-term workers are considered family by the owners and vice versus.
We asked them if amnesty effected them. The answer was “No!” The workers like the arrangement. They like their homes back in Mexico. They can’t wait to return to their families over the winter. They enjoy their work and their summers here.
Interesting.
As an aside, it used to be that we had hoards of college students eager to go work someplace over the summer. That arrangement would likely also appeal to college kids, and an organic farm ought to be right up their alley, too.
They have legal green card workers from Mexico. The pay for the airfare and other costs to bring these (mostly long-time) workers into the country and then send them home over the winter. They provide furnished rental houses in the area for the workers. These are all comparable to the other homes in the area. The have a chef on staff and this chef is responsible for a huge gourmet lunch every day. The owners eat with the workers. Some of the longest-term workers are considered family by the owners and vice versus.
We asked them if amnesty effected them. The answer was “No!” The workers like the arrangement. They like their homes back in Mexico. They can’t wait to return to their families over the winter. They enjoy their work and their summers here.
There is nothing as permanent as a temporary guest worker. They will drop anchor babies and many will put down roots here. What? You think illegal aliens never lie to naive Americans? Huh?
You are unaware of the millions of Turkish guest workers who never left Germany to return home And dittos for other European nations.
At least have these alleged guest workers put all earnings into a trust account that they don't get one peso from until they (verified) return to Mexico. Mexicans are too dicey anyway. I would bring Thai's over. Much more likely they would go home due to not having millions of Thais (community) here to disappear into.
I hope they go bankrupt.
That's possible, but not very likely. The green card is a legal permanent resident visa, which allows them to live permanently in the US. But there are some from Mexico and other nations who have a green card but use it on a temp basis. In some cases, it is easier to get the green card than it is to get a temp worker visa. Certainly, having a green card allows the worker to bypass yearly renewal of a temp visa.
The green card also allows them to enter the naturalization process whereby they become citizens. But not all green card holders become naturalized because they have to pay hefty fees, hire lawyers, and pass the test.
More likely your clients are using the H2A temporary ag worker visa which is seasonal, and requires the employer to provide housing.
For some farmers, the H2A works very well, but for most, it is a bureaucratic nightmare and the ag industry wants it reformed as part of comprehensive reform. There is an unlimited quota on H2A, but there are not very many H2A visas being utilized.
The other common temp/seasonal visa is the H2B Non-Ag worker visa which is used by the hospitality and lawn care industry.
Immigration reform would also create a third temp worker visa but it would be for a longer period such as 3 years.