First, the program is so onerous for farmers in its required costs, reporting and bureaucratic requirements that farmers turn to it only as a last resort. The option they usually face is to lose crops and a year of hard work or use guest workers. Second, the program itself requires that farmers hire domestic workers first, advertise extensively for them, and prove through the reporting requirements that they have done all they can to hire domestic workers. Only by proving that insufficient domestic workers are available will they be allowed to bring in guest workers. When a farmer employs guest workers and domestic workers, all are required to be paid according to the guest worker contract which specifies higher than minimum wage for all workers doing the same work.
