Microsoft President Warns US Green Card Suspensions Will Harm Domestic Tech Sector

Microsoft President Brad Smith has warned that federal restrictions preventing technology companies from sponsoring foreign professionals for U.S. permanent residency could inflict long-term damage on the domestic tech sector by cutting off access to specialized global talent.

Speaking in an interview with Politico, reported by TechRadar Pro (https://www.techradar.com/pro/we-should-all-be-worried-microsoft-president-says-changes-to-green-cards-could-hurt-us-tech), Smith criticized recent federal measures that restrict Microsoft's capacity to sponsor skilled immigrant staff under the green card framework.

Smith argued that deterring foreign professionals from pursuing careers in the U.S. will incentivize them to move to competing foreign markets, simultaneously stripping American enterprises of critical technical skills while bolstering rival nations.

The corporate leader's remarks come as a response to an Oct. 8, 2026 memorandum issued by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, which suspended Microsoft alongside seven other major technology and IT services corporations from participating in permanent residency sponsorship for foreign personnel.

The policy directive also impacts Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Capgemini, Tata, Wipro, and HCL. Outlining the decision in remarks originally reported by The Guardian, Vance stated that while Microsoft is a prominent domestic corporation, it must prioritize employing American workers rather than replacing laid-off domestic staff with foreign labor.

Pushing back against the administration's rationale, Smith emphasized the strategic risks to leadership in emerging technological fields, warning against sending signals that redirect the next wave of artificial intelligence and software engineers to other countries.

Smith also challenged the administration's assessment of corporate green card applications, calling Vance's assertions "completely off base" and attributing friction to an extensive administrative backlog in processing permanent residency petitions.

To highlight the role of foreign-born experts in domestic innovation, Smith noted that out of six individuals recently honored by the president with national medals in science and technology, five had immigrated to the United States.