Almost every company uses tactics like these. And for good reason. Most factors that actually matters in hiring (GPA, college you got the degree from, caliber of your prior companies and work experience, interview performance, general intellectual & problem solving skills) are all banned from consideration when explaining why you didn't hire a local. And once you water down the job-requirements to exclude all of the above, if even one "qualified" person applies to that job, you're hosed. Dysfunctional laws invite creative workarounds.