Accusing tech firms of visa fraud, the Trump administration announced Thursday it was suspending Microsoft and several other firms from participating in the H-1B visa program, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The announcement was made by Vice President JD Vance, who is in charge of the administration’s Fraud Task Force.
H-1B allows foreign workers to apply for green cards and work at American companies.
President Donald Trump and other Republicans have charged that H-1B and other visa programs allow American companies to recruit foreign workers and hire them at lower pay than American workers would command.
Employers say the program enables them to find the best talent from around the world and address the domestic labor shortage.
Microsoft said its recent use of the H-1B program mostly enabled it to extend the status of existing employees, not hire new employees.
