The White House has blocked Microsoft and seven other technology companies from hiring skilled international workers on a permanent basis, accusing them of fraud and abusing visa programmes designed for foreign professionals.
Vice President JD Vance announced on Thursday that Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini had been barred from accessing the H1B visa programme and the pathway that allows foreign workers to become permanent US residents, according to BBC News.
Vance singled out Microsoft for particular criticism, claiming the company had been “replacing American workers with foreign indentured servants.” He alleged that no firm in the United States had abused the system more than the technology giant.
Secretary of Labor Kieth Sonderling confirmed during the same conference that the government would no longer process any new or pending Permanent Labor Certification Program (PERM) applications from the eight companies. He characterised both corporations and US universities as “visa mills” that were “flooding” the country with foreign workers.
Microsoft responds to allegations
A spokeswoman for Microsoft told the BBC that the vast majority of its employees in the United States are Americans. The company employs more than 200,000 people globally.
Vance claimed Microsoft had laid off approximately 6,000 workers whilst filing 6,800 H1B visa applications over the same period, which he presented as evidence of the company replacing domestic staff to “undercut” wages.
The Microsoft spokeswoman countered that 80 per cent of H1B visa filings submitted by the company in the last fiscal year were for employees already working at Microsoft, rather than new hires. She added that international workers hired through the H1B programme receive the same level of compensation as US workers would earn, with a median salary of $155,000 according to Ellis, a firm that assists tech companies with international hiring.
The timing of the announcement is notable: Satya Nadella, Microsoft’s chief executive, was scheduled to attend the White House on Thursday to receive a medal for technology innovation from President Donald Trump. Nadella has been present at several recent White House events, including an artificial intelligence luncheon and a state dinner for China’s President Xi Jinping.
How the H1B programme works
The H1B visa programme is designed for highly skilled or specialised workers that companies require but cannot find or hire domestically. The programme is capped at 85,000 visas per year across all industries and employers.
The PERM programme offers a pathway for such workers to become permanent US residents, often leading to a Green Card that allows them to remain and work in the United States indefinitely. During the last fiscal year, the US Department of Labor certified more than 130,000 PERM applications across ten business categories.
Every major technology firm in the US relies on the H1B programme to hire international workers, including Amazon, Google, Meta, Apple and Nvidia. However, none of these companies were mentioned in Vance’s Thursday remarks.
Vance defended his reference to foreign workers as “indentured servants” by explaining that if they are fired or made redundant by the company sponsoring their visa, they must leave the country. Workers in this situation typically have a 60-day grace period, though the US government proposed eliminating that buffer period altogether last month.
What this means for Poles in the US
Polish nationals working in the technology sector on H1B visas at any of the eight affected companies will not be able to progress to permanent residency through the PERM programme whilst the ban remains in place. This affects anyone at Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL or Capgemini who had planned to apply for a Green Card through their employer.
Poles already holding H1B visas at these companies are not immediately at risk, but should be aware that the administration has proposed eliminating the 60-day grace period currently available if they lose their jobs. This would mean immediate departure from the US unless alternative visa sponsorship can be secured.
For Poles considering job offers from these eight companies, it is now essential to understand that there is no clear pathway to permanent residency through employment. Anyone with pending PERM applications at these firms should seek legal advice, as the government has confirmed it will not process them. Polish technology professionals may wish to consider other employers not currently subject to the ban, though the administration’s broader stance on foreign worker programmes remains uncertain.