Microsoft fights green card ban, says 80 percent of H-1Bs are renewals
The US suspended Microsoft from sponsoring green cards, but the company says 80 percent of its visa filings were just for existing staff.
Visa Sponsorship · Source: CNN
What happened
The Trump administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe, and several IT firms from the PERM green card program. Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of laying off 6,000 American workers last year. At the same time, he claims the company hired 6,300 H-1B workers. The government believes these companies are using the visa system to replace citizens with cheaper labor from abroad.
Microsoft quickly published a statement to push back against these claims. The company stated that 80 percent of its 6,000 H-1B applications last year were simply to extend or change the status of current employees. They clarified these applications were not used to bring in new workers from outside the country.
The tech giant also noted that its remaining visa filings were for people who were already legally living in the US. These new hires make up only one percent of Microsoft's total US workforce. The company insists it pays its H-1B workers the exact same wages as any other employee doing comparable work.
By the numbers
- 80 percent — Portion of Microsoft's H-1B applications used for existing employee extensions or status changes
- 6,000 — Number of American workers the government claims Microsoft laid off last year
- 1 percent — Portion of Microsoft's US workforce made up of new H-1B hires already in the country
Why it matters
This suspension completely freezes the green card process for foreign workers at Microsoft, Adobe, and several IT outsourcing firms. If you are currently interviewing with these companies, they cannot start or process a PERM application for you. This forces international job seekers to weigh the serious risk of joining a company that cannot secure their long-term residency in the United States.
This clash highlights a massive gap between how the government views visa data and how companies actually hire. Because the government is actively investigating visa fraud ahead of the midterm elections, other large tech companies might slow down their own green card sponsorships. They may pause applications just to avoid drawing similar scrutiny from the labor department.
Who this hits
H-1B workers at suspended companies
Current employees at Microsoft, Adobe, and the suspended IT firms cannot move forward with PERM applications right now. Their path to permanent residency is completely frozen until the government decides to lift the suspension.
International students and OPT holders
New graduates looking for long-term sponsorship may need to look beyond these specific companies for stable employment. The government is also investigating universities over J-1 visa use, which could eventually change how schools hire foreign researchers and teachers.
What to do this week
- Ask recruiters directly about their company's current PERM status before you accept a job offer.
- If you currently work at a suspended company, consult with an immigration lawyer about how this freeze impacts your specific visa timeline.
- Broaden your job search to include companies that are not currently under government investigation for their visa programs.
See who's hiring right now on GiraffyReach
My take
I always tell job seekers to look past the loud political headlines and check the actual numbers. The government claims Microsoft is replacing workers, but Microsoft's data shows they are mostly just renewing visas for people already on their teams. Until this standoff is resolved, you need to be very careful about where you accept job offers if you rely on a green card to stay in the country.