US Suspends Microsoft, Adobe and Other IT Firms from Skilled Foreign Worker Residency Programme
The US administration has suspended Microsoft, Adobe and several other large IT companies from a programme that helps qualified foreign workers obtain permanent residence permits. The companies are accused of fraud and of ignoring the interests of local workers.
The United States administration has suspended several major technology companies, including software developers Microsoft and Adobe, from a programme that helps qualified foreign workers obtain permanent residence permits. According to Latvian outlet Kursors.lv, the decision follows accusations of fraud and of disregarding the interests of local workers. The move matters to the technology sector, which employs foreign specialists, because the restriction affects companies' ability to recruit staff from abroad.
What happened
According to the source, the restriction covers Microsoft, Adobe and a number of other large IT companies. The programme is intended to attract qualified foreign specialists, and the article's headline refers to it as the H-1B visa programme.
An administration representative addressed a clear message to Microsoft: it is a great American company, but it must hire great American workers.
Accusations
The step is justified by allegations of fraud and of ignoring the interests of domestic employees. The source gives no further details on the specific violations alleged, how many workers are affected, or how long the suspension will last.
No comments from the companies are included in the available text.
