Blue Card Definition

A new type of photo identity card indicating a form of legal status introduced by the U.S. Senate in its 2013 effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform. A "blue card" would become available to agricultural workers who had been employed in the U.S. for at least 575 hours or 100 days before December 31, 2012. Workers who successfully apply for a “blue card” would then be eligible for permanent residence (a green card) after five years spent doing agricultural work in the United States. Their spouses and children would receive the same benefits. This card will not become available unless and until the immigration reform package is passed, signed by the U.S. President, goes into effect, and has been implemented by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).