Administration Suspends Microsoft Green-Card Sponsorship After 6,000 Layoffs

The administration suspended Microsoft and seven other companies from sponsoring foreign workers for green cards, putting the technology sector at the center of a new immigration-policy fight after large-scale layoffs.

Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of replacing the 6,000 workers it laid off in 2025 with people holding H-1B work visas. Microsoft received 6,258 H-1B approvals in fiscal 2025, making it the third-largest sponsor among the companies cited.

The visa figures provide a more mixed picture. About two-thirds of Microsoft’s approvals went to people already working at the company, rather than new hires. H-1B visas are temporary work permits and are separate from PERM, the Labor Department program used by employers to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.

Amazon received 19,178 H-1B approvals and Meta received 6,294, exceeding Microsoft’s total. Neither company was included in the suspension announced Thursday.

The action extends beyond technology. The Labor Department’s inspector general also announced an investigation into alleged J-1 visa fraud involving nine major U.S. universities, broadening the administration’s scrutiny of employment and exchange-visa programs.