Ariz. Sen. Jeff Flake introduces guest worker program to address visa problems
Apr 21, 2016, 5:30 AM
(Stocksnap photo)
PHOENIX — Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake has introduced a new guest worker program that will aim to address a gap between temporary visa programs for seasonal workers and programs for highly-skilled immigrants.
It’s called the “Willing Workers and Willing Employers Act.” The flex guest worker program would let workers who have less than a bachelor’s degree come to the United States to do year-round, non-farming work.
Potential employers would have to try to hire Americans to fill their openings first, Flake said about the program.
“They would be required to advertise for the job and make sure that nobody who is already here will take it,” Flake said.
If they could not find an American to take it, employers would then be able to bring in someone from outside of the United States.
“Once the worker has arrived, he or she can change jobs at will if they went through the same process with another employer who searched for American workers and couldn’t find them,” Flake said. “That would provide protections for the employee.”
Companies would have a mandatory obligation to screen potential employees through the e-verify system.
“We would be sure that the employer is hiring who they say they’re hiring and that the employee is under a true identity, not an assumed name,” Flake said.
Flake said there would be a cap of between 65,000 to 85,000 jobs a year that could be filled through the program.
KTAR News’ Lauren Grifo contributed to this report.