Washington, Oct 2026 : Microsoft has defended its use of H-1B visas, saying nearly 80 per cent of the approximately 6,000 applications it filed during the last fiscal year were intended for existing employees rather than new hires. The clarification comes after the Trump administration suspended the technology giant’s ability to sponsor foreign workers through a key employment-based green-card programme.
In a statement published on its corporate website, Microsoft said most of its H-1B applications were intended to extend or change the immigration status of employees already working for the company in the United States.
“These were not to hire new people,” the company said, adding that the remaining applications involved individuals already legally present in the country who had decided to join Microsoft.
According to the company, these applications accounted for only around one per cent of its American workforce. It stressed that the individuals concerned were not new arrivals to the United States.
“We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans,” the company said.
Microsoft also expressed its willingness to provide further information to the administration about its recruitment and immigration practices as scrutiny of employment-based visa programmes intensifies.
The administration’s action concerns the Permanent Labour Certification programme, commonly known as PERM. Administered by the US Department of Labour, the programme generally requires employers to demonstrate that there are insufficient qualified and available US workers for certain positions, and that employing foreign workers will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed American workers.
PERM certification is typically an initial step in the process of obtaining employment-based permanent residency for eligible foreign employees.
Microsoft also rejected suggestions that it uses H-1B workers to undercut American employees through lower wages. The company said it submits petitions only for candidates who meet the requirements of the visa category.
“We pay our H-1B employees the same as any other employees doing comparable work,” it said.
The company maintained that its technology operations depend on developing domestic talent while attracting highly skilled professionals from around the world. It argued that both approaches are important to maintaining a competitive workforce.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, has called for stronger enforcement of employment-based immigration rules, arguing that safeguards are necessary to prevent abuse and protect American workers.
Microsoft’s statement did not specify the legal grounds for its suspension from the PERM programme or indicate how long the restrictions would remain in force. It also did not disclose how many employees’ pending or future green-card applications might be affected.
The suspension relates to the company’s access to the labour-certification process. It does not, by itself, revoke existing H-1B visas or require affected employees to leave the country.
The development adds to the ongoing debate in the United States over skilled-worker immigration, employer hiring practices and the balance between protecting domestic employment and meeting the technology industry’s demand for specialised talent.
