Undocumented workers aren't the only ones subjected to backbreaking work conditions and wage discrimination; legal migrant workers also experience the same workplace drawbacks.

According to "Authorized Status, Limited Returns: The Labor Market Outcomes of Temporary Mexican Workers," prepared by the Economic Policy Institute, temporary foreign workers' hourly wages are equivalent to unauthorized workers' wages, and both groups experience more wage penalties, compared with legal permanent residents (LPRs). Temporary workers are often paid a lower rate than initially promised, and if they fail to agree, "they will effectively lose their visa and corresponding legal status."

H-2A visas for agriculture jobs and H-2B visas for other low-skill or seasonal work can be requested by temporary workers, but both require the compliance of an employer who's able to prove that the company is unable to hire U.S. workers to fill those positions. Western Growers, for example, is able to prove that temporary agricultural workers are vital to their operations. Yet, Western Growers' workers and workers at numerous other companies face wage discrimination, comparable only to the treatment of undocumented workers. 

The report's findings showed that temporary workers hold jobs of the lowest occupational standing. Also, the report communicated the visa restrictions on job mobility for temporary workers that prevents advancement. Meanwhile, undocumented immigrants may switch jobs in their field as they search for advancement among employers who are willing to hire unauthorized workers.

Temporary foreign workers' hourly wages are equivalent to unauthorized workers' wages when compared to LPRs. There are numerous reasons for this. Often, employers use fear of deportation to intimidate unauthorized and temporary foreign employers, also paying them lower wages. That said, temporary foreign workers (H-2A workers) benefit from regulations that require employers to offer housing to workers at no cost at all. While monthly compensation is similar between temporary foreign workers and undocumented workers, H-2A workers earn more than unauthorized workers. Nonetheless, visa restrictions tie temporary foreign workers to a single employer, limiting access to career options and economic opportunities. On average, wages for temporary agricultural workers are paid $10 an hour or less. Temporary foreign workers earn about 11 percent less than permanent residents, and undocumented workers earn about 13 percent less.

There are more than 100,000 Mexican people with temporary visas working in the U.S., according to the report. Also, Florida boasts the largest number of temporary agricultural workers, with more than 12,000 temporary agricultural workers. North Carolina (7,048), Georgia (6,942), Louisiana (4,127), California (3,923) and Arizona (2,944) also have the a large number of certified H-2A temporary agricultural workers.

Despite ongoing criticisms and complaints, the number of temporary foreign workers has grown because it's more difficult to find U.S. laborers to do agricultural work, and non-citizens are will to take on laborious work at a lower rate. The study's findings found that temporary and undocumented workers are dependent on employers, who frequently offer them very low wages.