From this:

"We have probably been now actively engaged with immigration reform more than any other company," [Brad Smith, Microsoft's general counsel and senior vice president for legal and corporate affairs] said, noting that two years ago it was the company's No. 1 policy focus. "We remain very supportive of comprehensive immigration reform."

The Puget Sound region's diversity could make it an attractive place into which Asian companies could expand as they become more powerful in the global economy, he said. Microsoft employs thousands of workers (from India, for example) who are in the U.S. on H-1B work visas.

"We at Microsoft have helped play a role in that," Smith said of the region's diversity. "One-third of the people who work at Microsoft have a passport with a country other than the U.S. on it."