There is new hope for illegal immigrants. Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) has proposed a bill which would grant illegal workers in the United States a chance to obtain working visas. The new legislation is meant to fix the imperfect U.S. immigration system.

The issue of illegal immigration in the United States is a familiar one. Everybody knows about it—citizens, employees and politicians. This last group seems to have a new interest in trying to do something about the problem.

“The Border Security and Immigration Reform Act 2003,” which would create a special Guest Workers Program, may become a milestone in U.S. immigration politics. It is aimed at helping hard-working people who are now a part of an illegal work-force, but most importantly at putting an end to smuggling. The new legislation urges The State Department and Homeland Security to create special programs for seasonal and non-seasonal workers, as well as a set of rules regulating the process of acceptance, training and monitoring of new workers.

Cornyn’s proposal is not an amnesty or an easy way to naturalization. It’s merely a solution to real problems.

About 8 to 10 million illegal immigrants live in the United States. Many of those immigrants work but don’t pay taxes and as a consequence put themselves and the country at a disadvantage, said Cornyn. Illegal workers are not eligible for health insurance or pension plans.

Under the new legislation the citizens of countries interested that sign an agreement with the United States could apply for working visas as early as one year after the new law goes into effect. Every employee participating in this program would obtain a so-called “blue card.”

The Program is geared towards seasonal and non-seasonal workers. Seasonal workers participating in this new program could stay in the United States up to nine months, and non-seasonal workers one to three years. After the designated period, the worker would have to return to his/her home country, but could then apply for a new working visa and come back to the United States.

The proposed legislation was introduced in the Senate on July 10. A lot of time will have to pass before the legislation could go into effect, but the first, most important step, has been already made.

Les Kuczynski, Executive Director of the Polish Immigrant Congress, says that Cornyn’s proposal offers a big window of opportunity, but seems a little too daring.

If the legislation goes into effect, it will create opportunities for many immigrants. Most of the seasonal work is agricultural and so the act may impact the Mexican immigrant community the most. But there are also many Polish and Polish-American companies in the United States for which the Guest Worker Program would be a good solution. A good worker may have a chance to be sponsored and eventually granted a green card. “All we can do is just wait and see the final decision of the legislators,” Kaczynski says.