US suspends Microsoft's ability to file H-1B visas, with possible impact on Xbox

According to Game Developer, the US government has suspended Microsoft's ability to apply for H-1B visas for foreign workers, citing suspected fraud. Vice President J.D. Vance accused the company of laying off about 6,000 American workers and bringing in about 6,100 H-1B workers. The measure covers every division, Xbox included, though it is unclear what share of Xbox staff hold such visas.

Microsoft says in a statement that the suspension rests on incorrect information. It says roughly 80% of its nearly 6,000 filings last fiscal year were extensions or status changes for existing employees, and that the rest were for people already legally in the country. PC Gamer, whose headline points to the medal Satya Nadella received, frames the episode as another incoherent turn by the administration. The sources differ on what to call the affected permit (H-1B or "green cards"); we follow Game Developer's description.