Washington DC [US], October 9 (ANI): Microsoft on Thursday (local time) responded to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown after being suspended from the Permanent Labour Certification Program, while US President Donald Trump honoured Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.Microsoft, in its response, said it believes in the “strength and talent of the American workforce” and highlighted that the vast majority of its US employees are Americans.The statement came as Trump praised Nadella for his leadership and role in transforming Microsoft.On recent immigration questions, Microsoft issued a statement saying, “We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the United States are Americans.”“We look forward to providing the Administration with additional information. For example, of the approximately 6,000 H-1B visa applications we submitted in the last fiscal year, 80% percent were to extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees. These were not to hire new people,” the company further said.Microsoft said the remaining H-1B filings for new employees involved people who were already legally present in the United States and chose to join the company.“They are not new arrivals to our country,” it said, adding that these employees accounted for only one per cent of Microsoft’s US workforce.The company said it only files H-1B petitions for employees who meet the “rigorous standards” of the visa category and disputed any suggestion that its foreign workers were being paid less than other employees.“We pay our employees some of the highest compensation in the tech sector, and our wages are among the highest of all H-1B filings. We pay our H-1B employees the same as any other employees doing comparable work,” Microsoft said.“Microsoft succeeds as a global technology leader by developing the world’s best technology workforce. We do this by strengthening this country’s talent pipeline, hiring American workers, and attracting the best talent from around the world,” it added.The statement coincided with Trump’s recognition of Nadella at the White House’s “Science: A New Golden Age Summit”.Trump praised Nadella for his role in transforming Microsoft and its cloud computing business.“For more than three decades, Satya Nadella has been a key figure in the transformation of Microsoft, revolutionising the company and empowering businesses, students, and consumers from all over the world with some of the most capable software ever built or ever even conceived,” Trump said.“Before becoming CEO in 2014, Satya led Business Services research and development efforts, and the cloud computing platform that undergirds products used by billions and billions of people every single day,” he added.Trump also credited Nadella with making Microsoft an early leader in superintelligence.“Satya, we are honoured to give you the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. It is so well deserved. Congratulations, Satya,” Trump said.“Satya Nadella. The National Medal of Technology and Innovation to Satya Nadella of the Microsoft Corporation, for his transformative leadership of a critical American technology company which led to its rejuvenation for a new era of cloud computing, and for his construction of a hyperscale infrastructure that enabled the training and global deployment of American superintelligence. Congratulations,” White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Michael Kratsios said while announcing the award.Microsoft’s statement comes against the backdrop of action by the Trump administration over the H-1B visa programme and permanent labour certifications.Earlier in the day, US Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling announced the suspension of Microsoft, along with Adobe and major IT outsourcing companies including Cognizant, Infosys, Tata, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini, from the Permanent Labour Certification Program, citing multiple active federal investigations.Speaking at a press conference on fighting visa fraud, US Vice President JD Vance accused Microsoft of laying off American workers while benefiting from thousands of H-1B visas and green cards.Vance said Microsoft had laid off 6,000 American workers last year while benefiting from 6,300 H-1B visas and nearly 3,000 green cards.“Microsoft laid off last year, 6000 American workers at the same time the company benefited from 6300 H-1B visas and almost 3000 green cards. If you do the math for every worker that Microsoft laid off, they replace that worker with one and a half foreign indentured servants,” Vance said.He said the administration’s ongoing investigation had resulted in Microsoft’s suspension from the programme.“That’s a scandalous system we’ve allowed in this country for far too long but thanks to the work of this task force and the empowerment of the President of the United States we are going to stop because thanks to an ongoing investigation we suspend the program for Microsoft which means they will no longer able to take those visas and apply for permanent status,” Vance said.US Attorney General Todd Blanche said the action was intended to send a message to employers across the country.“This announcement today should send and does send a strong signal to every single employer in the United States that the Trump Administration will not tolerate discrimination against American workers,” Blanche said.Sonderling said the Labour Department would not accept new applications or process pending permanent labour certification applications involving the companies under investigation.“We will not accept any new or process any pending permanent labour certification applications involving these companies,” he said.Sonderling said the companies had collectively requested almost three million foreign workers since 2009 and received more than 230,000 H-1B visa approvals and over 100,000 permanent labour certifications.Amid the administration’s wider immigration crackdown, the US Department of Labour on Thursday also announced a “historic investigation” into alleged J-1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and MIT.The administration alleged that J-1 visas were being used to undercut the wages of American graduate students and researchers. Labour Department Inspector General Anthony P D’Esposito said subpoenas had been served and investigations were underway.“Alongside my partner, Secretary Keith Sonderling, I am announcing a historic investigation into the J1 visa fraud involving nine major American universities. Pitt, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Brown, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State, and MIT. Subpoenas have been served, investigations are underway, and nobody will be getting a free pass because their name is carved into an expensive building,” D’Esposito said.The developments also follow a Department of Homeland Security proposal announced on October 7 to impose a USD 70,000 fee for initial Optional Practical Training (OPT) applications by F-1 nonimmigrant students and USD 30,000 for subsequent OPT applications.DHS said the proposed fees were aimed at combating fraud and abuse, reducing the flow of cheap labour into the US and protecting American workers. The department cited schemes involving problematic worksites and “pay-to-stay” visa arrangements. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)