Microsoft defends H-1B visa use, says 80% for existing staff

Microsoft said Thursday that approximately 80 per cent of the 6,000 H-1B visa applications it filed in the last fiscal year were to extend or change the status of existing employees, not to recruit new talent from abroad. The company's statement came hours after Vice President Vance suspended Microsoft from a green card sponsorship programme, accusing the tech giant of misusing the visa system.

The remaining applications were for individuals already lawfully present in the United States who opted to join Microsoft's workforce, the company said. "We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the US are Americans," the company stated.

The H-1B visa programme allows U.S. companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. The visa has long been a point of contention, with critics arguing it displaces American workers and depresses wages in sectors like technology and engineering, while proponents say it fills critical skill gaps.

Microsoft's clarification underscores how many large technology companies use H-1B visas not primarily for new hiring but for managing the immigration status of employees already working for them in the United States.