Senate Passes Stricter Regulation For Foreign Workers

On February 6, the Senate voted for stricter regulations on the money given through the Troubled Assets Relief Program, also known as TARP, to companies that higher foreign workers using the H-1B Visa program. The measure was introduced on the Senate floor by Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Bernie Sanders (Independent – Vermont).

While the amendment passed is not as strict as the one proposed by Grassley on February 5, which would have prohibited anyone taking aid from using H-1B Visas entirely, is does set up several rules making it much harder for any company taking federal aid from the program to hire non-American workers. For instance, under these rules, an employer cannot release a similarly employed US worker with an H-1B worker within 90 days before or after the hiring of the foreign national. And the employer must make every effort to hire a US worker who is equally or better qualified before offering the job to anyone through the H-1B program.

Even with the amendment, it is still likely that outsourcing firms, such as Infosys, Wipro, and Tata, will still be making use of the H-1B program.

A similar measure was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 21 by Sue Myrick (R- North Carolina). That bill has not yet been taken up by the Senate.

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