Microsoft has a long history of lobbying the government on immigration issues. For example, it has asked the government to increase the number of foreign workers who can receive visas under the H-1B program, which allows skilled workers from other countries to temporarily work in the U.S.

It promoted changes to the H-1B program even after Senator Charles Grassley, an Iowa Republican, expressed concern that Microsoft would retain foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified Americans after the company's recently announced layoffs. Microsoft eliminated 1,400 positions in January and plans to cut more than 3,000 additional jobs in the coming months.