JD Vance Bars Microsoft From Seeking Skilled Worker Green Cards

Vice President JD Vance announced that Microsoft and seven other companies are barred from seeking green cards for skilled foreign workers. The administration's move follows accusations that Microsoft abused the H-1B visa program to underpay foreign-born employees compared to American workers.

Microsoft President Brad Smith responded by calling the administration's accusations "completely off base." Smith denied that the company pays foreign workers less than domestic staff, asserting that Microsoft employs a uniform compensation system. He further noted that the company hired more than 9,000 US-born workers last year, a fact he claims the administration has ignored.

Smith warned that these restrictions on green-card access could drive global talent overseas and cripple the United States technology sector for more than a generation.