By Dexter Tilo
Publication Date: 2026-10-12 18:46:00
According to CNBC, Vance said that for every worker Microsoft laid off, the company “replaced that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants”. He also described Microsoft as a great American company with which the administration had a good relationship, CNBC reported.
What the data shows
CNBC’s analysis of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) H-1B Employer Data Hub found that Microsoft received 6,258 H-1B approvals in fiscal 2025, in line with the figure Vance cited. However, two-thirds of those approvals went to people who were already Microsoft employees rather than new hires.
The suspension itself does not cover H-1Bs, which are temporary work permits, CNBC noted. The PERM programme concerns green cards, which grant permanent residency.
Amazon and Meta not on the list
The data also showed Microsoft was not the largest H-1B sponsor. Amazon topped the list with 19,178 approvals in fiscal 2025, followed by Meta with…
