US suspends Microsoft from Green Card programme, here is what the company has to say
The US government has suspended Microsoft from the PERM program, which is required for sponsoring foreign workers for Green Cards, citing fraud investigations. Microsoft denies the allegations, stating that most of its visa filings are for existing employees.
Why it matters
This suspension impacts the immigration and labor strategy of a major tech employer and highlights increased government scrutiny on H-1B visa usage.
The US government has suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM), the process most employers must clear before sponsoring a foreign worker for a Green Card. Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the move at a press conference in Washington on October 8, and the Labor Department will now neither accept new PERM applications from Microsoft nor process the ones already pending.Vance singled out the company as the worst offender. "There has been no company in the United States, unfortunately, that has abused the system more than Microsoft," he said, claiming Microsoft laid off around 6,000 American workers last year while employing 6,300 people on H-1B visas and securing nearly 3,000 Green Cards.
Also covering this story
7 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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Trump administration says Microsoft ‘abused’ worker visa program and is cutting off access
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