India’s tech giants shrug off changes to USA’s skilled visa program
As Microsoft denies alleged ‘fraud and abuse’ that sparked the tweaks
India's top technology industry body, NASSCOM, and Microsoft have dismissed changes to the United States' skilled visa program, dismissing allegations of abuse. The revisions, announced on Thursday by US Vice President JD Vance and Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, now bar Microsoft and Adobe from converting H-1B visa holders to permanent residents via the Program Electronic Review Management (PERM) system.
Sonderling also revoked access to PERM for several Indian companies, including Infosys, Tata, Wipro, and HCL. He attributed this move to criminal investigations and alleged fraud and abuse, claiming that these companies have requested nearly three million foreign workers since 2009, resulting in the displacement of over 230,000 American jobs.
Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella, who once held an H-1B visa, responded strongly, asserting that Microsoft only files H-1B petitions for qualified workers and pays some of the highest wages in the tech sector. NASSCOM, along with other Indian politicians, defended the use of H-1B visas, arguing that they promote technology advancement, innovation, economic growth, and job creation in both India and the United States.
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