Trump Admin Questions Microsoft's H-1B Applications After Outage
Summary
The Trump administration renewed criticism of Microsoft’s H-1B visa use after an outage disrupted some of the company’s services. Most services, including Outlook, were restored by Friday morning, and Microsoft said a technical issue caused the outage, not a cyberattack or AI agents.Key Facts
- Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito criticized Microsoft on X, contrasting its H-1B application processing with the outage’s effect on Outlook.
- Microsoft said a technical issue caused the outage and that it was unrelated to cyber activity or AI agents.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data showed 6,258 H-1B approvals for Microsoft in fiscal year 2025; some were renewals for current visa holders.
- Microsoft laid off about 16,000 workers worldwide in 2025 while continuing to seek H-1B visas.
- Vice President JD Vance said in October that the administration would suspend access to the PERM green-card process for companies it viewed as using the pathway to undercut American workers.
- Microsoft President Brad Smith disputed the administration’s account, saying most visa and green-card applications were for people already working at Microsoft.
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