This week Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) introduced legislation, Willing Workers and Willing Employers Act, which would create a pilot guest worker program designed to address the gap that currently exists between temporary visa programs for seasonal workers and the H-1B visa program for highly-skilled immigrants. Under current laws, there are no legal options for lesser skilled immigrants to meet current or projected future workforce needs. Immigration reform, including a guest worker program, is a component of AGC’s Workforce Development Plan aimed at alleviating the construction industry’s workforce shortage.
While Congress is not expected to consider this legislation or any other substantive immigration reform ahead of the November elections, the bill introduced this week shows a willingness among some members of Congress to consider balanced immigration reform legislation. AGC joined a broad group of employers in the Essential Worker Immigration Coalition in a letter thanking Senator Flake for his efforts.
For more information, please contact Jim Young at youngj@agc.org or (202) 547-0133.