Several Republicans have introduced bills that would grant residency to foreign workers who enter the U.S. and illegals who are already residing here. The bills would give foreign workers guest worker status. As a guest worker, immigrants could apply for jobs listed on a Labor Department registry for 14 days and not filled by Americans. After working in the U.S. for three years with a temporary work visa, foreign workers could apply for legal permanent residency. Illegal immigrants already here would have to pay a fine and wait a certain amount of time before applying for permanent residency, depending on employer sponsorship. The bill has been criticized on one side by those who favor reducing immigration and on the other by those who feel that the bills make the legalization process too difficult for immigrants.
See Rachel L. Swarns, The New York Times, August 3, 2003