On October 8, 2026, Microsoft responded to the US immigration crackdown by stating that the company believes in the strength and talent of the American workforce. The majority of Microsoft's US employees are Americans. This statement comes after the Trump administration suspended Microsoft from the Permanent Labour Certification Program due to multiple active federal investigations.
The suspension was announced by US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling, who cited investigations into Microsoft and other major IT companies, including Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL, and Capgemini. These companies were found to have collectively requested almost three million foreign workers since 2009 and received over 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and 100,000 permanent labour certifications.
Microsoft clarified that out of approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications submitted in the last fiscal year, 80% were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees. The remaining applications involved new employees who were already legally present in the United States. These employees accounted for only 1% of Microsoft's US workforce.
The company disputed claims that its foreign workers were paid less than other employees, stating that it pays its H-1B employees the same as any other employees doing comparable work. Microsoft also emphasized its commitment to strengthening the country's talent pipeline, hiring American workers, and attracting the best talent from around the world.
On the same day, US President Donald Trump honored Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation at the White House's "Science: A New Golden Age Summit". Trump praised Nadella for his leadership and role in transforming Microsoft, particularly in cloud computing.
Trump credited Nadella with making Microsoft an early leader in superintelligence and revolutionizing the company. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation was awarded to Nadella for his transformative leadership of Microsoft, which led to its rejuvenation for a new era of cloud computing.
The US Department of Labour also announced a historic investigation into alleged J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and MIT. The administration alleged that J-1 visas were being used to undercut the wages of American graduate students and researchers.
Key points
- Microsoft was suspended from the Permanent Labour Certification Program due to multiple active federal investigations.
- The company clarified that 80% of its H-1B visa applications were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees.
- Satya Nadella was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for his transformative leadership of Microsoft.
