Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) Weighs In on Immigration Reform

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is one of many tech companies that have benefited from current immigration laws in the U.S. , which gives out special visas to highly skilled foreigners in science and engineering to take high-skilled jobs in the tech industry. In fact, reportedly a high percentage of the current notable tech companies were built by thiese highly skilled foreigners, or have a high percentage of executives and top engineers and developers  are from foreign countries.

With that as a backdrop, on the very day that President Obama traveled to Las Vegas to introduce his comprehensive immigration proposal, both Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) published blog posts throwing their support behind comprehensive immigration reform.

Coincidence?

In its blog post, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) stated, “It’s critical that America address the shortage of workers with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills. There are many high-skilled, high-paying jobs being created by American businesses across the country that are being left unfilled because of this gap.”

Microsoft, Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) and other tech companies have had a presence in Washington with their lobbying efforts, making sure that their high-tech industries stay visible among congressional leaders. So to have such tech companies speaking out in support of this new legislative priority gives some legitimacy to the effort – even if the focus is more on the educated workers and not so much on low-skill labor that is generally favored in the overall comprehensive package.

It its related post, Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) wrote that it claimed that 40 percent of U.S. tech companies that have gone public and are supported by venture capital, were founded by immigrants – which includes Google, Yahoo! Inc. (NASDAQ:YHOO), eBay Inc. (NASDAQ:EBAY) and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ:INTC). And it also claimed that 25 percent of U.S. tech firms between 2006-2012 had at least one co-founder from a different country; those firms accounted for more than 500,000 employees.

What do you think? Should these companies be throwing themselves into the debate? How do you think this kind of stance would impact Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and its reputation? We’d like your thoughts on this story or on these companies in the comments below.

DISCLOSURE: I won no positions in any stock mentioned.

Please see these related MSFT articles:

Verizon Flirting with Microsoft? Why?

Are Tech Stocks a Shelter for Dividend Investors?

A Microsoft-Dell Marriage: Can It Work?