Microsoft’s layoffs of about 9,000 employees have sparked strong reactions online, with some social media users questioning the tech giant’s H-1B hirings, according to media reports.

Microsoft was one of the top 20 companies as listed by the number of H-1B petitions for initial employment the U.S. approved in fiscal 2024, with 1,264 H-1Bs approved, according to CBS News.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the program, which applies to employers seeking to hire nonimmigrant aliens as workers in specialty occupations or as fashion models of distinguished merit and ability, is capped at 65,000 new visas each year, although 20,000 others can be issued for those with a master’s degree or higher.

Read more at Newsmax© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.