# Plain Language Summary: Red Card Guest Worker Act of 2024

This bill creates a temporary guest worker program that would allow foreign workers to come to the United States for short-term jobs. Here's how it would work: employers would post job openings on a government website after advertising them to American workers for at least 60 days. Foreign nationals could then apply for these positions from their home countries. If hired, they'd enter the U.S. through official ports of entry and receive temporary work status valid for up to five years (with possible renewals). The program would start small with 50,000 workers in year one, grow to 75,000 in year two, and cap at 125,000 annually for years three through five. However, the entire program only takes effect after a physical border wall is completed on the southern border—meaning it wouldn't start immediately even if passed.

The program comes with strict conditions for workers. Each foreign national would be assigned a case officer who tracks their location, employment status, and personal information. If a worker loses their job, they have 30 days to find new employment or face immediate removal from the country. Workers must report any changes in address or employment immediately and cannot vote in any elections. They're also subject to background checks and can be denied entry if deemed a national security risk. If convicted of any crime, they're deported immediately after serving their sentence.

Employers face significant penalties for violations. They must pay workers the same wages as American workers doing the same job and cannot advertise positions for less than 60 days before posting them online. Violations can result in fines up to $50,000 each, and employers convicted of more than three violations are permanently barred from hiring any guest workers under this program. Additionally, the bill imposes a 10 percent tax on all money transfers sent out of the country—not just those from guest workers, but from anyone sending remittances abroad. This would affect immigrants, international students, and anyone else regularly sending money to family overseas.