Nasscom pushes back on US green card freeze: ‘Immigration, talent mobility distinct issues’

Nasscom, India’s tech industry body, reacted to US President Donald Trump’s latest immigration crackdown after the administration suspended several firms, including Microsoft, from a programme that allows companies to apply for green cards for foreign workers, accusing it of abusing the system.

The suspension covers the labour department’s Permanent Labour Certification program (PERM), which is considered the first step for a foreign worker to obtain permanent residency, or a green card, to live and work in the US.

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Immigration and talent mobility not linked: Nasscom

In its reaction to the suspension, India’s tech industry body National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom) said immigration and skilled talent mobility were two separate issues and should not be seen through the same lens.

“While the decision affects a specific immigration pathway, Nasscom has consistently maintained that immigration and skilled talent mobility are two distinct issues and should not be viewed through the same lens," it said.

The firm also said that Indian tech firms have reduced their “dependence on H-1B visas”, while “steadily expanding local hiring and building a strong domestic workforce in the U.S”.

Nasscom added that Indian technology companies worked with most Fortune 500 companies in the US, helping them innovate and grow while creating more local jobs. It said the number of employees moving from H-1B visas to permanent residency through the PERM process was relatively small.

The industry body also said that Indian technology companies operate in more than 80 countries and have consistently demonstrated their commitment to complying with local laws and regulatory requirements.

"We are confident that they will continue to adhere to applicable regulations in the US as well," it said.

Microsoft reacts to suspension

In its statement, the tech giant defended its filing and said that the “vast majority” of its employees are Americans.

“We believe in the strength and talent of the American workforce. That is why the vast majority of Microsoft employees in the US are Americans. We look forward to providing the administration with additional information,” it said.

Microsoft said that out of the nearly 6,000 H-1B visa applications it submitted in the last fiscal year, a total of 80 per cent of them were to “extend or change the status of existing Microsoft employees”.

“The remaining filings for new employees were for individuals already legally in the United States who decided to come work for us, and they equal only 1% of our US workforce. They are not new arrivals to our country,” the company said.

Defending its H-1B filings, Microsoft said that it files the petitions for the people who “meet the rigorous standards of this visa category”.

It said, “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.”