Microsoft suspended from green card application program for skilled foreign workers, says Vance

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s administration is suspending tech giant Microsoft from a program to apply for green cards to workers who come to the United States to live and work using an H-1B visa, as it accuses the company of fraud.

“If you do the math, for every worker Microsoft laid off, they replaced them with one and a half foreign contract employees,” Vice President JD Vance said at a White House news conference announcing the decision.

The H-1B program has long been a target of Trump supporters, who say the program harms American workers and is riddled with abuse.

H-1B visas are for high-skilled jobs for which it is difficult to find American workers. Tech companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to Indian workers.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Vance’s announcement comes a day after the Republican Trump administration launched another offensive against international students and their ability to work in the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday proposed a $70,000 fee for international students wanting to work in the United States. The proposed rule would require schools to pay fees for each student who participates in the optional practical training program, known as OPT, which allows students to work in jobs related to their major during or after their studies.

Vance also denounced universities that he said were abusing a program that allowed international students to come to the United States. These temporary visas, called J-1 visas, allow international visitors to temporarily come to the United States for work and study exchange programs. Vance singled out nine universities that he said deserved further investigation for J-1 visa fraud, saying they used the program in greater proportions than their counterparts.