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Study says workers from Mexico with visas earn no more than undocumented workers

August 18, 2014

Most legal temporary workers from Mexico earn no more than undocumented immigrants, who unlike their legal counterparts can improve their situation by changing jobs or negotiating for better pay, according to an Indiana University study, “Temporary Worker Advantages? A Comparison of Mexican Immigrants' Work Outcomes.”

“My research found that temporary workers’ visas effectively ensure that they are underpaid and cannot advance in the job market because they guarantee that the immigrant work for the sponsoring employer,” said Lauren Apgar, lead researcher of the study. “Issuing visas to the employees, rather than the employers, offers a possible solution to prevent these abuses from occurring and to better protect those who serve a vital function in the national economy.”

The most common employment visas issued to Mexicans are the H-2A visa for agricultural workers and the H-2B visa for low-skill, peak-load or intermittent workers.

The U.S. offered 4,808 H-2 visas to workers from Mexico in 1987. The number rose to 111,769 in 2013, according to the research.

The study analyzed data from the Mexican Migration Project, which has been collecting data concerning the experiences of temporary workers, undocumented immigrants and legal permanent residents since 1987. It included data provided by 3,634 male heads of households.