Greater Work Visa Restrictions in the U.S.

As more Americans lose their jobs, the U.S. government is actively discouraging the recruitment of foreign workers, from dude ranchers and fruit pickers to lifeguards and computer programmers. At least three avenues of legal immigration have seen roadblocks erected:

• Companies receiving federal bailout money now face extra hurdles before they can hire highly skilled guest workers on an H-1B visa.
• The Labor Department will close a public-comment period for a proposal to suspend an agricultural guest-worker program, known as the H-2A.
• The State Department is asking some sponsors of the J-1 visa -- seasonal employers such as hotels, golf resorts and summer camps -- to reduce dependence on foreign labor.