If you are an employer, you must calculate the entire risk versus reward scenario in your mind before using recruiters to hire foreigners. The biggest cost for employers is not the $15,000 dollars. The biggest cost is the uncertainty and the time involved. And if that uncertainty and time is something the employer must work through on their own without any help, then why pay the $15,000 for a foreigner? Locals are faster placements and easier to vit. Therefore, local employers don't see a reason to enter into deals with recruiters to hire foreigners. They would rather put pressure on recruiters to find a local for a quick placement. And this is exactly what they do. Recruiters will tell you this.