- Published
Microsoft and several other technology firms have been barred by the White House from hiring skilled international workers on a permanent basis through a widely used visa program.
asserted
Microsoft → publish → program
Vice President JD Vance on Thursday accused Microsoft alongside other firms of committing fraud through the use of the H1b visa programme and a related process for workers from abroad to become permanent US residents.
asserted
workers → accuse → programme
Vance claimed that Microsoft, one of the most valuable in the US, has been effectively replacing American workers with "foreign indentured servants."
asserted
Microsoft → claim → servants
Microsoft said most of the H1b visas filed over the last financial year were for existing workers, who are paid the same as local staff.
asserted
who → say → staff
"No company in the US has abused this system more than Microsoft," Vance said.
asserted
Vance → abuse → Microsoft
He also made similar accusations about Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini.
asserted
He → make → Adobe
The US government will not process any new or pending Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) applications from Microsoft or the seven other companies, Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said during the same conference.
asserted
Sonderling → process → conference
Sonderling said companies like Microsoft, as well as US universities, have turned into "visa mills" that were "flooding" the US with foreign workers.
asserted
that → say → workers
The BBC has contacted all of the companies for comment.
asserted
BBC → contact → comment
The total number of H1b visas, a precursor to anyone seeking to go through the PERM process, is capped, external at 85,000 per year.
asserted
number → seek → year
A spokeswoman for Microsoft noted to the BBC that "the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans."
asserted
majority → note → States
The company employs more than 200,000 people worldwide.
asserted
company → employ → people
Vance put forward on Thursday that Microsoft had laid off about 6,000 workers and filed 6,800 H1b visa applications over the same period of time.
asserted
Microsoft → put → time
He claimed this was evidence of the company using foreign workers to replace domestic workers and "undercut" their wages.
asserted
company → claim → wages
The Microsoft spokeswoman said that 80% of the H1b visa filings the company has submitted over the last fiscal year were related to employees already working at Microsoft, not new hires.
asserted
company → say → Microsoft
She added that the international workers that Microsoft does hire through the H1b visa program are paid the same level of compensation that a worker from the US would receive.
asserted
worker → add → US
According to Ellis, a company which aids many tech companies with the process of hiring skilled workers from abroad, the median salary, external for an H1b worker at Microsoft is $155,000.
uncertain
salary → accord → Microsoft
"We look forward to providing the Administration with additional information," the Microsoft spokeswoman said.
asserted
spokeswoman → look → information
Satya Nadella, Microsoft's longtime CEO, was at the White House on Thursday to receive a novel medal for technology innovation from President Donald Trump.
asserted
Nadella → receive → Trump
Nadella was also present at other recent White House events, including a luncheon on artificial intelligence and a state dinner for China's President Xi Jinping.
asserted
Nadella → include → Jinping
"Our message to Microsoft is quite simple: You're a great American company, you've got to hire great American workers.
asserted
you → get → workers
You cannot lay off American workers and then replace them with foreign indentured servants," Vance said.
asserted
Vance → lay → servants
He explained that his reference to workers from abroad in such a way was due to the fact that, should they be fired or laid off from the company that sponsored their visa, they "have to leave" the US.
asserted
they → explain → US
Typically, such a worker has a 60-day grace period in that circumstance.
asserted
worker → have → circumstance
Last month, the US government proposed eliminating, external that grace period altogether.
asserted
government → propose → period
Every major tech firm in the US hires international workers through the H1b visa program, and has done so for many years, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple, Nvidia, and more.
asserted
firm → hire → Amazon
None of those companies were included in Vance's Thursday comments.
asserted
None → include → comments
The program has been aimed at highly skilled or specialized workers that a company needs, but is unable to find or hire domestically, for decades.
asserted
company → aim → decades
The PERM program is a pathway for such workers to become permanent US residents, often leading to a Green Card that would allow them to remain and work in the US indefinitely.
asserted
them → become → US
During the last fiscal year, the US Department of Labor certified, external more than 130,000 PERM applications accross ten business categories.
asserted
applications → certify → categories
The Aporia
