The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday that it has struck an agreement with Microsoft Corporation to resolve accusations that the business discriminated against non-US nationals based on their citizenship status during the early stages of Microsoft's employment process.

According to a Justice Department inquiry, the corporation would ask potential workers for particular immigration paperwork to verify they could work for the company without needing the company's sponsorship for work permits. Microsoft has been ordered to pay a $17,352 civil punishment to the US Treasury and to change its recruitment practises.  

The department's individual investigation began when the spouse of a Microsoft applicant called the IER's (Immigrant and Employee Rights Section) hotline to report that the company had asked her husband for his Domicile Card while he was searching for a position at Microsoft's Redmond, Washington, facility.

In order to keep immigrant personnel who have been hired on a work visa, technology companies frequently offer permanent status. Microsoft has been one of the top five firms in previous years in terms of supporting permanent residence for its workers.

'Through investigations and settlements like this one, the Department of Justice will continue to ensure that all non-U.S. citizens who are authorised to work can pursue job opportunities without facing unlawful discrimination,' said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

The investigation also discovered that from at least June 2019 to at least January 2020, Microsoft routinely sent emails to lawful permanent residents requesting documents to confirm their continued work authorization, despite the fact that they had already provided documents demonstrating permanent work authorization. 

Employers are required by the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to verify a worker's authorization to work in the United States. However, the law also prohibits employers from requesting documents that are not required, or from limiting or specifying the types of valid documentation that a worker is allowed to show to prove permission to work, based on the worker's citizenship, immigration status, or national origin, according to the statement.

According to the agreement, Microsoft will overhaul parts of its hiring process to ensure that it is not illegally requiring non-U.S. citizen job applicants, including those with permanent authorization to work, to provide specific immigration documents to prove they do not need sponsorship for a work visa.