Microsoft Pushes Back as Trump Administration Targets H-1B Visa Program
The Trump administration’s intensified scrutiny of the H-1B visa program has put Microsoft in the spotlight, prompting the tech giant to defend its hiring practices. In a statement Thursday, Microsoft claimed that the “vast majority” of its US-based employees are American and added that “of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80% were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees” rather than to hire new ones. The company further clarified that the remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to join Microsoft, and they “equal only 1% of our US workforce.”
The controversy comes amid broader Republican efforts to overhaul visa programs. Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of abusing the H-1B system, arguing that such programs “essentially empower American companies to recruit foreign workers for jobs that end up undercutting Americans.” Supporters of former President Donald Trump have long criticized these visas, and the administration has proposed new rules targeting related programs. One such rule would require schools to pay a fee for every student participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their time in school. Additionally, Inspector General of Labor Anthony D’Esposito announced a “historic investigation into J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities”, including Pitt, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Brown, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State, and MIT.
Despite the tensions, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella received praise from Trump at a recent ceremony, where the former president lauded him as “a key figure in the transformation of Microsoft, revolutionizing the company and empowering businesses, students and consumers from all over the world.” The event also honored other tech leaders, including Dell CEO Michael Dell, AMD CEO Lisa Su, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and entrepreneur Sergey Brin. Microsoft’s defense underscores the delicate balance between maintaining a global talent pipeline and addressing domestic employment concerns, as the administration continues to tighten rules around skilled worker visas.
Shimanta Das 
