Microsoft President Brad Smith has warned that the Trump administration’s move to restrict green-card access for skilled foreign workers could weaken US technological competitiveness and push global talent to other countries, Politico reported on Thursday. Smith said blocking pathways to permanent residency for highly skilled immigrants could “cripple” the US technology sector for more than a generation.
Smith’s remarks came less than a week after 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 rejected Vance’s allegations that Microsoft had abused the H-1B visa programme, describing the accusations as “completely off base”. He further denied claims that foreign-born employees were paid less than American workers, stating that Microsoft follows the same compensation system regardless of employees’ immigration status.
Smith also highlighted Microsoft’s contribution to domestic employment, saying the company hired more than 9,000 US-born workers last year. He argued that this contribution had been overlooked amid the administration’s criticism of the company’s immigration practices. The White House and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment on the report.
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