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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