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Microsoft urged traveling H-1B visa employees on Friday to return to the U.S. immediately in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order to increase visa fees to $100,000, according to internal emails. Trump signed the executive order on Friday, citing a desire to increase the number of Americans in the workforce and address national security concerns. The changes will go into effect on Sunday, Sept. 21. Microsoft and other tech companies have historically used the H-1B visa program to hire foreign workers into their U.S. offices. “The large-scale replacement of American workers through systemic abuse of the program has undermined both our economic and national security,” the White House wrote in the proclamation. Jack Chen, associate general counsel for U.S. immigration at Microsoft, emailed workers late Friday, urging traveling H-1B employees to return to the states by Saturday and avoid future travel abroad to prevent reentry issues. “We strongly recommend you do what you can to return to the U.S. (on Saturday) before the deadline,” Chen wrote in an email obtained by The Seattle Times. “(We recognize) that there isn’t much time to make sudden travel arrangements. But again, we strongly encourage you to do your best to return.” submitted by /u/drshort |
