US Blocks Microsoft From Green Card Program

Many of these workers first come to the US on an H-1B visa, a temporary permit for highly skilled specialists. Before most of them can get a green card, which lets them live and work in the US permanently, the government must confirm that no qualified American is available for the job. Vance said Microsoft laid off about 6,000 American workers last year while asking for thousands of H-1B visas. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) reported his figure as 6,800 applications, while the New York Post said 6,300 visas. Vance called the visa holders "foreign indentured servants" because they must leave the country if they lose their jobs. Microsoft defended its hiring. It said 80% of its roughly 6,000 applications were for people who already worked there, and that visa holders are paid the same as American staff.

Officials said the move aims to protect American office jobs. Vance also announced investigations into nine universities, including Harvard, Yale and Stanford. Critics say the H-1B system lets companies replace Americans with cheaper foreign workers. However, the BBC noted that Amazon, Google and Apple hire through the same program, but they were not named. The government has also proposed ending the 60-day grace period that visa holders receive after losing their jobs.