Microsoft President Brad Smith warned the Trump administration's move to restrict green-card access for skilled foreign workers could hurt US technological competitiveness and drive talent overseas, Politico reported on Thursday.
In the interview, Smith also pushed back against Vice President JD Vance's accusations that Microsoft had abused the H-1B visa program, calling them "completely off base".
His comments came less than a week after Vance announced the administration would bar Microsoft and seven other companies from seeking green cards for skilled foreign workers
Smith said efforts to block pathways to permanent residency for highly skilled immigrants could "cripple" the US technology sector for more than a generation, Politico reported
The White House and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment
The Microsoft executive also denied foreign-born employees were paid less than American workers, saying the company uses the same compensation system for all employees regardless of immigration status
Smith said Microsoft hired more than 9,000 US-born workers last year, arguing that contribution had been overlooked in the administration's criticism, according to the report
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