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Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#31

Post by lmz »

phyzix5761 wrote: post #5
ericmay wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft can also just pay the fee right? My understanding is that it’s on the employer to pay, not the individual. Given that these are incredibly skilled folks this would certainly be annoying if you’re Microsoft (like any other tax or fee) but given the value they get from each employee it seems like $100,000 isn’t much.

Incredibly skilled? More like incredibly low paid. H1Bs are mostly used now to save money not to fill high skilled jobs. I know US citizens who have 10+ years of experience as software engineers and have been out of work for a year now. The $100k will try to take that advantage away from employers.

[flagged]

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#32

Post by shaky-carrousel »

drooopy wrote: post #12
jjgreen wrote: post #3

[flagged]

Are you suggesting that people who potentially moved to the US for employment perhaps from the other side of the globe, give everything up immediately and make a 180 and find a new job in another country? Do you have some examples as to how this could work?

It's not feasible, true. But long term is the right thing to do, given where the US is going.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#34

Post by rawgabbit »

xyzelement wrote: post #14

Skimming the articles I don't see the source of the 15 hour urgency. Seems like the fee is on new visas - what's promoting Microsoft to send this notice to existing people?

The executive order said to bar re-entry unless the $100k was paid. This is the enforcement mechanism. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/rest...

     Quote: Section 1.  Restriction on Entry.  (a)  Pursuant to sections 212(f) and 215(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1182(f) and 1185(a), the entry into the United States of aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in a specialty occupation under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b), is restricted, except for those aliens whose petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000 — subject to the exceptions set forth in subsection (c) of this section.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#35

Post by Muromec »

phyzix5761 wrote: post #5
ericmay wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft can also just pay the fee right? My understanding is that it’s on the employer to pay, not the individual. Given that these are incredibly skilled folks this would certainly be annoying if you’re Microsoft (like any other tax or fee) but given the value they get from each employee it seems like $100,000 isn’t much.

Incredibly skilled? More like incredibly low paid. H1Bs are mostly used now to save money not to fill high skilled jobs. I know US citizens who have 10+ years of experience as software engineers and have been out of work for a year now. The $100k will try to take that advantage away from employers.

Why can't they set a salary cutoff for visas at something like 1.5x of median salary in the same industry? That's what EU does. No lottery, no degree requirement even -- if the company wants you to pay above the market, they can, otherwise, nah.

This of course creates another problem -- highly paid foreigners price locals out of the housing market, but hej, we can always blame that on refugees, right.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#36

Post by DashAnimal »

xyzelement wrote: post #14

Skimming the articles I don't see the source of the 15 hour urgency. Seems like the fee is on new visas - what's promoting Microsoft to send this notice to existing people?

Per the proclamation:

"the entry into the United States of aliens as nonimmigrants to perform services in a specialty occupation under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of the INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b), is restricted, except for those aliens whose petitions are accompanied or supplemented by a payment of $100,000 — subject to the exceptions set forth in subsection (c) of this section. This restriction shall expire, absent extension, 12 months after the effective date of this proclamation, which shall be 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on September 21, 2025."

So it applies to all H1Bs. Subsection c is limited (but will be interesting to see how it plays out) so I don't bother sharing.

Actual proclamation here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/rest...

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#37

Post by brainless »

This is terrible lack of planning. I understand the need for the US to be strict about people entering the country. They have a right to choose but this is so mismanaged.

There are so many active H-1B visa holders, now everyone is just anxious. The rules can start for new visa applications. For existing holders, there should be a time period where people can figure out if the employer is even able to pay.

If this stays in effect for existing visa holders and the employers cannot pay in time or wants to change the contract, the individuals and their families are stuck. Plus, employees probably lose their job if employer cannot pay the fees.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#38

Post by jama211 »

jacquesm wrote: post #26
drooopy wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you suggesting that people who potentially moved to the US for employment perhaps from the other side of the globe, give everything up immediately and make a 180 and find a new job in another country? Do you have some examples as to how this could work?

No, but it is practical: you can consider your life in the US and what you've built up there as an immigrant pretty much lost or at least hanging by a silken thread that can be capriciously cut at any moment. This all depends on the whims of the dictator. Almost anything is better than that. Remember that the purpose of the Berlin wall was not to keep the West out but to keep the East in . You're at the stage where '…

That will take time and may be good long term advice but is almost useless short term advice - they (and potentially you) should read the room, we’re talking about their immediate urgency. Their comment was pretty insensitive considering that.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#40

Post by usernamed7 »

JBorrow wrote: post #10
ericmay wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft can also just pay the fee right? My understanding is that it’s on the employer to pay, not the individual. Given that these are incredibly skilled folks this would certainly be annoying if you’re Microsoft (like any other tax or fee) but given the value they get from each employee it seems like $100,000 isn’t much.

Many people on H1Bs work for nonprofits or hospitals, or are otherwise publicly funded.

i have never heard of this and nothing i've read has indicated this; it's always been tech companies large fortune 500's. I did some googling and am not finding anything to support this claim, either. If you've got sources i'd love to see them.
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