WASHINGTON: The US has suspended Microsoft from a programme that allows employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency, as the Trump administration steps up scrutiny of the H-1B visa system.
US Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of misusing the H-1B programme, which allows American companies to employ foreign workers in certain specialised roles.
Vance said the programme was intended to help employers recruit highly skilled workers for jobs that could not be filled by qualified US workers. He alleged that the system had become vulnerable to fraud and abuse.
Vance pointed to Microsoft’s workforce reductions in 2025, saying the company laid off about 6,000 American workers after certifying that it could not find qualified US employees for the positions.
He also said Microsoft had been approved for more than 6,000 H-1B visas and had filed 3,682 PERM applications, including nearly 1,000 applications for positions that he said were similar to jobs held by workers who had been laid off.
The administration’s allegations do not, by themselves, establish that Microsoft violated the law.
US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling said several other companies had also been suspended from the programme, including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCO, Capgemini and Adobe.
Sonderling also announced investigations into nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford, over allegations related to the employment of international students and US wage levels.
Labour Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said subpoenas had been issued as part of the investigations.
The moves are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to tighten oversight of programmes involving foreign workers and international students.
