States Take Charge of Worker Visas | Salt Lake City News

Salt Lake City News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 3, 2026 · 1m

Senator John Curtis and Senator Mark Kelly are pushing a bold new bill that would let states create their own temporary worker visa programs — a revival of Utah’s 2011 effort that never made it past federal approval. Designed to address severe labor shortages, especially in agriculture and rural industries, the proposal would give states flexibility to tailor visas based on local needs, while maintaining strict federal background checks and protections for American workers. The bill also includes a pathway to legal residency for some long-term undocumented workers, aiming to ease immigration…