During a Trump administration announcement Thursday regarding the suspension of eight technology firms from the Labor Department’s PERM program, Vice President JD Vance specifically targeted Microsoft. He alleged that the software giant replaced the 6,000 workers it dismissed in 2025 with employees holding H-1B work visas.
The suspended program allows employers to sponsor foreign nationals for permanent residency, or green cards. While the PERM suspension does not directly impact the temporary H-1B visa category, visa approval statistics provide insight into the extent to which these companies depend on international labor.
Data retrieved from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ H-1B Employer Data Hub indicates that two-thirds of Microsoft’s H-1B approvals were granted to individuals who were already employed by the company, contradicting the notion that all new hires replaced American workers.
Notably, Amazon and Meta, identified as the nation’s largest sponsors of H-1B work visas, were not included in the suspension list. In fiscal 2025, Amazon secured 19,178 approvals, while Meta received 6,294. All eight suspended entities rank within the top 50 H-1B sponsors, a group predominantly composed of IT services and consulting firms. Adobe was the smallest company on the list, ranking 45th.
Beyond the tech sector, the administration expanded its scrutiny to academic institutions. At the same press conference, Anthony D’Esposito, the Labor Department’s inspector general, revealed an investigation into alleged J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities.
Trump allies have long contended that these immigration programs disadvantage domestic workers by encouraging employers to recruit abroad. The administration’s recent actions reflect a broader crackdown on what officials describe as fraud and abuse within the visa system.
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