The Trump administration has launched investigations into nine major U.S. universities, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, over alleged misuse of the J-1 exchange visitor visa program to employ foreign researchers and graduate students.
Vice President JD Vance announced the investigations Thursday, Oct. 8, saying the universities appeared to be using J-1 visas at disproportionately high rates in federally funded research programs and potentially using foreign workers to reduce labor costs.
The other universities named in the investigation are Yale University, Stanford University, Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Davis, the California Institute of Technology, and Arizona State University.
Subpoenas issued to universities
Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Labor, said subpoenas had already been issued and that investigations were underway.
D’Esposito said investigators would examine whether the universities improperly used J-1 classifications to avoid employment obligations, exploit taxpayer-funded programs or undermine American workers. The investigation will also examine potential foreign influence and improper financial relationships involving federally funded research.
“Something weird is going on at these universities,” Vance said, alleging that the institutions were using J-1 visas too frequently and using the program to “undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers.”
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According to Vance, the nine universities use J-1 visa holders for federally funded grants at a rate of about 61%, compared with a national average of 38%.
He also alleged that American graduate students and researchers earn about $20,000 more than comparable foreign researchers brought into the U.S. through the J-1 program. The administration has not publicly provided university-specific evidence supporting those allegations.
MIT responds to investigation
MIT said it was reviewing what it described as a broad federal subpoena.
“Each J-1 visa holder at MIT has been vetted and authorized to come here by the U.S. government, and we take seriously our obligations to follow U.S. law,” an MIT spokesperson said.
The university added that it values international students and scholars and argued that the ability to attract highly skilled talent from around the world remains an important U.S. advantage. A Harvard spokesperson had not immediately responded to requests for comment, according to The Harvard Crimson.
J-1 program under scrutiny
The J-1 visa is an exchange visitor classification used for approved educational, research, training and cultural exchange activities. U.S. universities use the program to host international scholars, researchers and students, including participants in scientific and technological research.
The investigation is part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on employment-based immigration and visa programs.
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The announcement came on the same day the administration suspended Microsoft, Adobe and several major technology outsourcing companies from the PERM program, which employers use as part of the process of sponsoring foreign workers for employment-based green cards.
The Labor Department has also announced a broader visa-fraud enforcement effort. D’Esposito said a new visa fraud strike team would bring together investigators from multiple federal agencies.
The university investigations could have significant implications for international researchers and graduate students, including Indian nationals seeking research and academic opportunities at leading U.S. institutions. The administration has not accused individual J-1 visa holders at the universities of fraud, and the investigations remain ongoing.