The company’s president and chief legal officer Brad Smith told CNBC that Microsoft doesn’t want to move jobs overseas, but may have to if it can’t hire the skilled immigrants it needs to fill positions. The Trump administration has made it harder for companies to hire skilled foreign workers and for international graduates in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics from U.S. universities to continue working as they apply for a work visa.
More changes to that program would mean there would be “hundreds of [Microsoft] employees who would lose their ability to work in the United States,” Smith said. Instead of simply abandoning those employees and replacing them, Smith said Microsoft would work to move them overseas to countries where they can continue working for the company.
“We’re not going to cut people loose. We’re going to stand behind them,” Smith said. “In the world of technology, you better stand behind your people because your people are your most valuable asset.”
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