‘It could cripple American technology for more than a generation’: Microsoft President Brad Smith on Trump’s green card | Today’s news
Microsoft President and Vice Chairman Brad Smith warned that the Trump administration’s move to limit green card access for skilled foreign workers could weaken the U.S. technology sector and push talent to other countries, Politico reported.
In an interview with Politico’s Decoded, Smith said that blocking paths to permanent residency for highly skilled immigrants could cripple America’s tech industry for more than a generation. His remarks came less than a week after US Vice President JD Vance announced that the administration would bar Microsoft and seven other companies from seeking green cards for skilled foreign workers.
Smith also dismissed Vance’s allegations that Microsoft abused the H-1B visa program to avoid hiring American workers at higher wages, calling the claim “completely off base.”
He said the US should be concerned about sending signals that could encourage talented artificial intelligence and software engineers to pursue opportunities in other countries rather than stay in the US.
Smith also claimed that Microsoft’s green card applications were largely from longtime employees rather than new hires, attributing the situation to long delays in processing applications. He said someone failed to provide Vance with accurate information about the company’s numbers.
Microsoft defends its hiring and compensation practices
Smith denied that Microsoft paid foreign-born workers less than American workers. According to Politico, he said the company maintains the same compensation system for all employees, regardless of their immigration status.
He also pointed to Microsoft’s domestic hiring, saying the company employed more than 9,000 US-born workers last year. Smith argued that the contribution was overlooked in criticism of the administration’s use of skilled worker visas.
A Microsoft executive called on the White House to reconsider its position in light of what he described as a more accurate description of the company’s hiring practices.
What is the PERM program
On October 8, the US administration led by Donald Trump suspended the PERM program for some IT companies including Microsoft, TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Cognizant, among others.
The suspension prevents affected companies from submitting new PERM applications and will reportedly halt processing of pending applications.
The Permanent Labor Certification Program, known as PERM, is a process managed by the U.S. Department of Labor that allows companies to sponsor foreign workers for U.S. green cards that grant permanent residency.
