US Labor Department probes nine universities, including Harvard and MIT, over J-1 visa use
Subpoenas have been issued over alleged misuse of the exchange-visitor visa to hire foreign postdoctoral researchers. The universities say they comply with visa rules.
The US Department of Labor's Office of Inspector General has opened an investigation into how nine American universities use the J-1 exchange-visitor visa to employ foreign researchers, US Vice President JD Vance announced on October 8.
The universities named are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Caltech, MIT, Arizona State University, the University of Pittsburgh and UC Davis. The inspector general's office has issued subpoenas and says it will examine possible foreign influence, improper financial relationships or visa abuse in federally funded research.
The allegation
The administration alleges the institutions use J-1 visas, the main route for international postdoctoral researchers, to hire lower-cost foreign labour in place of American graduate students and researchers. Vance said the named schools employ J-1 researchers on federally funded work at a much higher rate than the national average. Those figures have not been independently verified, and STAT News reported it was unclear how much evidence supports the claims.
What the universities say
MIT said it had received a very broad subpoena and that every J-1 holder it hosts was vetted and authorised by the US government. Stanford said it complies with visa laws and will cooperate. Yale and Harvard said they were reviewing the requests. Arizona State University also responded publicly to the inquiry.
Why it matters for international students
The probe comes alongside other proposed tightening of US rules for foreign students and workers, including a proposed cap on how long graduate students and postdocs can stay. Some of those proposals are being challenged in court. Students and researchers from India, one of the largest groups on US campuses, should keep every academic and employment document accurate and verifiable, as scrutiny of credentials and visa status is clearly increasing.
This News Desk report summarises information published by the sources above, written in our own words. Persons named in criminal matters are accused, not convicted, unless a court has ruled otherwise. To report an error, use our contact page.
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