What happened
Microsoft President Brad Smith said the US crackdown on green cards for skilled foreign workers could cause long-term damage to the country's technology sector. Smith spoke to Politico.
PERM suspended
The comments came a week after the US suspended Microsoft and seven other companies from PERM, the Labor Department programme employers use to sponsor foreign staff for permanent residency.
Why it matters
According to Smith, such restrictions could "cripple" US tech for more than a generation. Skilled immigrant workers make up a significant share of engineering teams at major technology companies.
