Key facts
- Nine U.S. universities are under investigation for potential fraud involving the J-1 visa program.
- The universities include Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State University, and MIT.
- Vice President JD Vance alleged that some institutions use the J-1 visa program to pay foreign researchers less than American workers.
- Subpoenas have been served to the universities as part of the investigation.
- The probe is part of a larger crackdown on visa fraud and foreign enrollment by the Trump administration.
The Trump administration has launched an investigation into nine major U.S. universities, including several Ivy League institutions, for alleged fraud related to the J-1 visa program. Vice President JD Vance announced the probe on Thursday, stating that subpoenas have been served to Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Davis, the California Institute of Technology, Arizona State University, and MIT.
Vance accused some universities of using the J-1 visa program, which allows foreign nationals to study and work in the U.S. temporarily, to "undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers." He alleged that in some cases, foreign researchers were paid significantly less than their American counterparts for comparable positions. The Labor Department's Inspector General, Anthony D’Esposito, also criticized the universities, emphasizing that prestige and endowment size would not shield them from scrutiny.
This investigation is part of a broader effort by the administration to crack down on visa fraud and foreign enrollment. The J-1 visa program is intended to provide U.S. institutions with access to highly skilled researchers and professionals, but Vance suggested it has been exploited to reduce labor costs. The announcement also comes as the administration has taken other actions against foreign workers, including proposals to raise fees on work authorization programs and attempts to restrict international student enrollment.