Elaborating on the new programme ‘that will match willing foreign workers with willing American employers, when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs, ‘Bush said the immigration policy will offer legal status, as temporary workers, to the millions of undocumented men and women now employed in the US, and to those in foreign countries who seek to participate in the programme and have been offered employment here. This new system should be clear and efficient, so employers are able to find workers quickly and simply.’

According to him, participants in the temporary worker program must have a job, or, if not living in the US, a job offer. The legal status granted by this program will last three years and will be renewable — but it will have an end. Participants who do not remain employed, who do not follow the rules of the program, or who break the law will not be eligible for continued participation and will be required to return to their home.

The president enumerated other conditions for eligibility. ‘Under my proposal, employers have key responsibilities. Employers who extend job offers must first make every reasonable effort to find an American worker for the job at hand. Our government will develop a quick and simple system for employers to search for American workers. Employers must not hire undocumented aliens or temporary workers whose legal status has expired. They must report to the government the temporary workers they hire, and who leave their employ, so that we can keep track of people in the program, and better enforce immigration laws. There must be strong workplace enforcement with tough penalties for anyone, for any employer violating these laws.’

‘Undocumented workers now here will be required to pay a one-time fee to register for the temporary worker program. Those who seek to join the program from abroad, and have complied with our immigration laws, will not have to pay any fee. All participants will be issued a temporary worker card that will allow them to travel back and forth between their home and the United States without fear of being denied re-entry into our country,’ said he.

He further explained that this program expects temporary workers to return permanently to their home countries after their period of work in the United States has expired. And there should be financial incentives for them to do so.

 President Bush promised to work with foreign governments on a plan to give temporary workers credit, when they enter their own nation’s retirement system, for the time they have worked in America. ‘I also support making it easier for temporary workers to contribute a portion of their earnings to tax-preferred savings accounts, money they can collect as they return to their native countries. After all, in many of those countries, a small nest egg is what is necessary to start their own business, or buy some land for their family. Some temporary workers will make the decision to pursue American citizenship. Those who make this choice will be allowed to apply in the normal way. They will not be given unfair advantage over people who have followed legal procedures from the start.

On the clamour for a general amnesty, Bush said ‘I oppose amnesty, placing undocumented workers on the automatic path to citizenship. Granting amnesty encourages the violation of our laws, and perpetuates illegal immigration. America is a welcoming country, but citizenship must not be the automatic reward for violating the laws of America.’

Also speaking on the current citizenship line which he described as being too long, Bush said his administration will work with the Congress to increase the annual number of green cards that can lead to citizenship. In the process of immigration reform, we must also set high expectations for what new citizens should know. An understanding of what it means to be an American is not a formality in the naturalization process, it is essential to full participation in our democracy. My administration will examine the standard of knowledge in the current citizenship test. We must ensure that new citizens know not only the facts of our history, but the ideals that have shaped our history. Every citizen of America has an obligation to learn the values that make us one nation: liberty and civic responsibility, equality under God, and tolerance for others.

In his views, the new proposal will bring more than economic benefits to America. Our homeland will be more secure when we can better account for those who enter our country, instead of the current situation in which millions of people are unknown and unknown to the law. Law enforcement will face fewer problems with undocumented workers, and will be better able to focus on the true threats to our nation from criminals and terrorists. And when temporary workers can travel legally and freely, there will be more efficient management of our borders and more effective enforcement against those who pose a danger to our country. Reform must begin by confronting a basic fact of life and economics: some of the jobs being generated in America’s growing economy are jobs American citizens are not filling. Yet these jobs represent a tremendous opportunity for workers from abroad who want to work and fulfill their duties as a husband or a wife, a son or a daughter.’

 For this reason, the new system he noted will be more compassionate. ‘Decent, hard-working people will now be protected by labor laws, with the right to change jobs, earn fair wages, and enjoy the same working conditions that the law requires for American workers. Temporary workers will be able to establish their identities by obtaining the legal documents we all take for granted. And they will be able to talk openly to authorities, to report crimes when they are harmed, without the fear of being deported.’

While appealing to congress to pass the new laws, he posited that ‘the best way, in the long run, to reduce the pressures that create illegal immigration is to expand economic opportunity among the countries in our neighborhood adding that America has always benefited from the dreams that others have brought here. By working hard for a better life, immigrants contribute to the life of our nation.’