AgJOBS: The Grand Compromise
In 2000, after decades of wrangling over the contours
of an updated guest worker program, the Agricultural Job
Opportunity, Benefits and Security bill (AgJOBS) was introduced in Congress. It has been periodically reviewed and debated—but it has not been enacted into law.35
Although the bill’s details have changed—and are still being negotiated to reflect the changing political dynamics—
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An immigrant worker drives a tractor transporting cucumber
containers on a farm in Virginia.
AgJOBS’ reforms key parts of the agricultural labor system.
The proposal is a compromise that follows years of negotiations between legislative adversaries—farm worker advocates
and growers. AgJOBS is comprised of two major components:
Earned Legalization for Current Farm Workers
AgJOBS provides up to 1.5 million unauthorized farm
workers with the opportunity to earn temporary legal immigration status—called a “Blue Card”—with the possibility of
becoming permanent residents of the United States. In order to participate, workers must have 2 years or more of U.S.
farm work experience before the passage of the bill. AgJOBS
also offers workers an opportunity to legalize the status of
family members.
Legalization would be contingent on workers’ continuing
to work in agriculture for three to five years (the requirement
depends on how many days per year they are employed) after
enactment of the bill. This part of the compromise would
mainly affect unauthorized immigrants already living in the
United States and working in agriculture—many of them for
decades.
Earned legalization would require that workers pay a fine
and any back income taxes they ow