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Microsoft President Brad Smith Defends H-1B Program and Rejects JD Vance's Claims
- •Microsoft President Brad Smith dismissed US Vice President JD Vance's allegations of H-1B visa abuse as completely incorrect in an exclusive interview.
- •Smith explained that the vast majority of Microsoft's green-card applications are for longtime employees caught in immigration backlogs, not new recruits.
- •The dispute arose after the US suspended eight major tech companies, including Microsoft and Adobe, from the PERM program over labor claims.
- •Smith highlighted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's success as a former H-1B holder who recently received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
- •Microsoft maintained that its H-1B workers receive equal pay and represent only a fraction of its total American workforce.
Key Questions Answered
The dispute was triggered by an October 8 announcement by JD Vance and US Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling suspending eight major technology and IT companies, including Microsoft, from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) programme. Vance alleged that Microsoft misused H-1B visas to bring in foreign workers while simultaneously laying off American employees.
Microsoft rejected the accusations as completely off base, stating that the White House received inaccurate accounts of its hiring practices. The company clarified that most green-card applications were for existing employees with years of tenure and that its H-1B workers receive the same compensation as US-born employees doing comparable work.
Microsoft President Brad Smith pointed to Microsoft's Indian-born chief executive, Satya Nadella, a former H-1B visa holder who was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation by President Donald Trump. Smith noted that five of the six executives honored that day were immigrants whose companies account for over a quarter of the S&P 500's market value.
