The Immigrant Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 provided a one-time opportunity for people who had been living in the United States illegally to obtain legal resident status and eventually qualify for citizenship. In order to go from temporary to permanent status, applicants were now required to demonstrate a minimal understanding of English…

This report examines the effects of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) on the raisin industry's labor market, and provides educators with background on California migrant workers and their deteriorating working conditions. Because the raisin harvest lasts only 3-4 weeks but employs 40,000-50,000 workers, any effects of IRCA on…

Over the past 20 years, California has experienced a continuous, growing flow of Mexican immigrant laborers. Although Mexican labor was originally linked to agriculture, by 1980 Mexican-born labor was filling a substantial proportion of jobs in all sectors of the California economy, particularly in manufacturing. Because they are concentrated in…

This report examines the wage differential necessary to induce nonagricultural workers to work in agriculture. The responsiveness of labor supply to wage changes is important because the Immigration Reform and Control Act may reduce the supply of immigrant farm labor in the United States. A random sample of 931 males with a ninth grade education…

The Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 allows undocumented workers, illegally residing in the United States since 1982, to become legal residents if they meet certain criteria. Examines the following aspects of IRCA: (1) intent and goals; (2) number of applicants; (3) administrative practices; and (4) family unification. (BJV)

This report examines the occupational mobility of agricultural workers in two California labor markets and the effects of the Immigration Reform and Control Act and individual, job, and labor-market characteristics on such mobility. Interviews were conducted among a randomly selected sample of 162 households, which included 401 workers in southern…

A survey was conducted to learn more about the population of immigrant amnesty applicants in California, which comprises 55% of the population nationwide applying for legalization through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Findings are reported separately, in most cases, for immigrants who have resided in the United States since…

This report provides information on the characteristics and work patterns of United States agricultural workers performing seasonal agricultural services (SAS) during fiscal year 1990. SAS crops include the majority of nursery products, cash grains, field crops, and all fruits and vegetables. More than 2,000 personal interviews with SAS workers…

This report describes research on the impact of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA), Public Law 99-603, on Mexico's economy and social structure. The purpose of IRCA is to control illegal immigration to the United States, and a key provision makes it illegal for employers to knowingly hire or continue to employ undocumented…

This report presents the findings of a California study on the demographic and educational characteristics and pre-enrollment language skills of over 265,000 newly legalized persons beginning legalization education programs. Data summarized about this population include immigration history, nationality, language background, age, distribution of…

This study was conducted to gather more definitive information about aliens who were newly legalized under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Two groups of eligible legal aliens were interviewed in Florida: those residing in the United States before 1982 (PRE-82s) and special agricultural workers (SAWs). The 1,300 subjects were asked…

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA) provides for the legalization of undocumented aliens through several programs. IRCA established the State Legalization Impact Assistance Grants (SLIAG) "to alleviate the financial impact on States and local governments that may result from the adjustment of immigrant status" through…