Like most day laborers who get paid in cash, Emilio Nicolás Santiago feared walking the streets from his construction job with his salary in his pocket.

Since he had no state identification card, Santiago could not open a bank account in his name, which obliged him to go to places where he got charged $10 whenever he wanted to buy a bank check.

“Every time I go to sleep, I would hide my money from my roommates. And when I wanted to send money to my family in Oaxaca, [in Mexico], I got charged another $10 for the remittance fee. Little by little I was ending up with no money,” lamented the 26-year-old Mexican.

But his nightmare became a thing of the past when he found out that the workers' organization he belongs to was offering a debit card that was especially created for immigrants who could not open a bank account.

The card, 'SiGo,' is affiliated with the MasterCard credit company that allows immigrants like Santiago to send an additional card to their families – no matter what country they live in – so that they can withdraw money from any automatic teller machine (ATM).

“As identification you only have to provide one of these documents: a copy of your passport, a consular registration, or a birth certificate, and pay $5 to register,” explained Michelle Gross of New Brunswick, NJ-based New Labor, the organization that designed and conceptualized ‘SiGo.’

'SiGo' functions like a regular debit card with which you can buy and pay for whatever you want in any establishment that accepts MasterCard.

Once the account has been opened, the card holder can cash checks and make money transfers for free through the Internet or by calling a toll-free 800 number.

“The only charges are a $2.50 monthly service fee and $2.95 for recharging the card when you've used all your money,” said Gross.

The money can be deposited by visiting New Labor. If the card holder lives far from there, he or she can go to any check cashing service that uses the 'IPP' network.

At present the cards are also offered in three workers' centers located in Long Island, Chicago and Los Angeles. The 'New Labor' organizers, however, hope that it will be available in another 140 centers throughout the United States within the next five years.

In Long Island, the card can be obtained from the Work Place Project, a workers’ center in Hempstead.

How to get 'SIGO'

* Present a copy of your passport, consular registration, or birth certificate.

* Pay $5 to register.

* Call the New Labor – (732) 246-2900 – for more information.