Defending Integrity: Microsoft’s Brad Smith Responds to Accusations from VP JD Vance on Visa Fraud

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Microsoft President Brad Smith refuted claims made by Vice President JD Vance accusing the company of replacing American workers with foreign workers, stating that such allegations were unfounded.

In an interview with Politico, Smith emphasized Microsoft’s commitment to integrity and compliance in its immigration practices and expressed hope for a reevaluation of the situation by the White House.

Addressing Vance’s statement that Microsoft laid off American workers while sponsoring foreign workers, Smith clarified that most visa and green card applications were for existing employees due to green card backlogs. He also highlighted the company’s significant hiring of American workers in the past year.

Smith rejected claims of preferential compensation for visa holders over American workers, emphasizing equal treatment for all employees.

Smith warned of potential repercussions of the administration’s actions on talent retention and the contributions of immigrant tech leaders to the U.S. economy.

Despite the suspension of permanent residency sponsorship, Microsoft can still hire foreign workers on temporary H-1B visas, which have limitations on duration and renewals.

Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft were among the top companies in H-1B approvals for new employment, as per USCIS data analysis.

The suspension affects Microsoft’s access to the PERM program for permanent residency sponsorship, which requires demonstrating unavailability of qualified U.S. workers for the job.

Microsoft has been a prominent user of the PERM program, but other tech giants reduced their filings in recent years.