Microsoft layoffs: Tech giant Microsoft has announced a fresh round of layoffs, cutting 9,000 jobs across various teams. However, the company is facing growing criticism, with many accusing it of using the H-1B visa programme to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labour. Indian-origin tech influencer Debarghya ‘Deedy’ Das took to X (formerly Twitter) to challenge what he called a “misleading narrative”.

According to Das, the majority of H-1B petitions received by Microsoft are for visa renewals, which are filed every three years, explaining periodic surges in numbers. Citing data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), he noted that Microsoft had 1,264 approved petitions in FY24, an increase from FY23 and FY22. Of these, nearly 1,200 were new H-1B applications, representing only around one-quarter of petitions and approximately 10% of new hires, accounting for just 0.5% of Microsoft’s total workforce, he wrote.

What do we know about the layoffs?

A conflicting report by WND, however, stated that Microsoft was among the top three companies submitting applications under the H-1B, H-1B1, and E-3 visa categories, with 14,181 applications filed. According to the Office of Foreign Labour Certification, roles most affected by the layoffs included software developers, electronics engineers, and IT project managers.

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The same report also claimed that “just 30 days before the mass layoffs began”, Microsoft spent $2.35 million lobbying the US Departments of Labour and Homeland Security, specifically targeting agencies responsible for H-1B visa approvals. The report further alleged that fresh visa applications were filed in the same month Microsoft issued redundancy notices to 2,300 employees, including 817 software developers.