Replacing Americans: Microsoft Applies for 6,000 H-1B Visas as It Lays Off 9,000 Employees

Tech giant Microsoft has applied for up to 6,000 H-1B visas to bring in foreign workers while simultaneously cutting 9,000 jobs.

The Daily Mail reports that Microsoft has recently drawn criticism for its decision to apply for thousands of H-1B visas even as it lays off a significant portion of its workforce. The move has sparked outrage among some who believe that American jobs should be prioritized, especially during a time of economic uncertainty.

Breitbart News reported earlier this week on Microsoft’s massive layoff, the second of this year:

Microsoft has announced a new wave of layoffs affecting about 9,000 workers. This marks the second major round of job cuts for the tech giant this year, as it aims to control costs in a dynamic market environment. The company hopes to streamline processes and reduce management layers through the cuts.

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the layoffs will impact less than four percent of the company’s total workforce and will be felt across different teams, geographies, and levels of tenure. The cuts are part of an effort to optimize the company’s organizational structure and position it for success in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

According to data compiled by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Microsoft has applied for 4,712 H-1B visas in the 2025 fiscal year alone. However, anecdotal evidence from former employees and industry insiders suggests that the actual number may be closer to 6,000, although this figure has not been independently verified.

The use of H-1B visas by large corporations has long been a contentious issue, with critics arguing that they allow companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor. Supporters of the program, however, maintain that it enables businesses to attract top talent from around the world and remain competitive in a global marketplace. Microsoft’s history of H-1B visa applications aligns with this perspective, as the company filed 9,491 applications in the 2024 fiscal year, with nearly all of them being approved.

Former Trump ally Elon Musk has been a long-time proponent of replacing American workers with cheap H-1B foreign workers. Before his ultimate betrayal of Trump, Musk lashed out at MAGA conservatives who criticized the H-1B visa program, an early glimpse of his true loyalties.