Microsoft has backed the payment of $5 billion to the US government, to allow for more visas, in order to reduce an expanding IT skills gap.

The H-1B visa allows for foreign workers to gain temporary employment in specialist sectors, which Microsoft promotes to fill increasing IT vacancies.

Microsoft proposed the $5 billion payment as a way to improve education in the sectors that increased visa applications would fill.

Brad Smith, general counsel for Microsoft, wrote that “We believe this approach could raise up to $500 million per year – or $5 billion over a decade – that the federal government could use to distribute to states where the STEM education investments are needed”.