The Trump administration has launched an investigation into nine major US universities over alleged fraud involving J-1 visas, with officials citing concerns about Chinese influence, foreign financial ties and the protection of federally funded research. The inquiry, announced at a White House press conference on Thursday, targets Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Davis, the California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Anthony D’Esposito, inspector general of the US Department of Labor, described the investigation as “historic” and confirmed that subpoenas had been issued to the universities. Standing alongside Vice-President J.D. Vance and other White House officials, D’Esposito placed particular emphasis on China, arguing that American research institutions could expose sensitive technology and intellectual property to foreign exploitation through inadequate safeguards.
“China is not simply an economic competitor,” D’Esposito said. “The Chinese Communist Party is a sophisticated adversary actively targeting American technology, intellectual property and national security interests.”
The J-1 visa programme allows exchange visitors, including international researchers, scholars and students, to receive temporary authorisation to work or conduct research in the United States. The investigation will examine whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships or visa abuse have compromised federally funded research at the universities. Officials have not publicly established the extent of any alleged wrongdoing, and the announcement did not specify how many Chinese scholars might be affected.
D’Esposito said approximately 61 per cent of postdoctoral researchers and federally funded workers at the nine institutions were foreign nationals, compared with a national average of 38 per cent. The figures were presented as part of the administration’s concerns about the composition of the research workforce, but no breakdown was provided for Chinese nationals or J-1 visa holders specifically.
Vance also questioned the universities’ employment practices, alleging that the use of foreign workers was disadvantaging American researchers and graduate students. “So something weird is going on at these universities,” he said, arguing that the institutions were using overseas workers to “undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers”. The administration did not provide evidence at the press conference establishing that the universities had violated wage or visa rules.
The South China Morning Post contacted all nine universities for comment and information about their Chinese J-1 scholars. By Thursday night, four institutions—Arizona State University, Brown, MIT and Yale—had responded, emphasising compliance with US law or indicating that they would review the investigation. None supplied figures for Chinese scholars holding J-1 visas.
Arizona State University defended its hiring practices, while MIT said its J-1 visa holders had been vetted and authorised by the government. Brown confirmed that it had received a subpoena and said it would co-operate with the authorities. “Brown’s international scholars, students and employees make essential contributions to our campus,” Brian Clark, the university’s vice-president for news and strategic campus communications, said in a statement. “We have received a subpoena from the government for various records pertaining to foreign labour programmes administered by the US government, and we will respond promptly and directly to the government.”
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The available information did not establish the number of Chinese researchers under scrutiny, identify particular individuals suspected of wrongdoing or detail specific instances of visa fraud at the nine institutions.
The investigation forms part of a wider administration effort to tighten scrutiny of programmes through which foreign nationals study and work in the United States. The government has proposed imposing a US$70,000 fee on universities for each international student participating in the Optional Practical Training programme, which allows foreign graduates to work in jobs related to their studies. The proposal would add a financial cost to a route commonly used by international students seeking US work experience after completing their education.
At the same Thursday press conference, officials announced the suspension of several major technology companies, including Microsoft and Adobe, from participating in the permanent labour certification process, known as PERM. The process is a key step towards securing employment-based permanent residency for foreign workers. The administration alleged abuse and fraud in the system but did not provide detailed evidence of the alleged violations in the announcement.
Vance directed a separate message at the technology industry, linking the administration’s immigration enforcement efforts to its stated priority of protecting employment opportunities for US citizens. “Our message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, but you’ve got to hire great American workers,” he said.
The university inquiry brings together two concerns central to the administration’s approach: whether foreign-worker programmes are being used in ways that disadvantage American employees, and whether international research arrangements create vulnerabilities involving technology and intellectual property. The subpoenas give investigators a means of seeking records from the nine institutions, but the announcement provided no findings establishing that the universities had committed fraud or that Chinese scholars participating in the J-1 programme had engaged in improper conduct.
