The Media Line: Trump Administration Investigates Harvard, 8 Other Universities Over Alleged Visa Fraud 

Trump Administration Investigates Harvard, 8 Other Universities Over Alleged Visa Fraud 

By The Media Line Staff 

The administration of President Donald Trump has launched an investigation into nine leading US universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, over allegations that they improperly used J-1 exchange visitor visas to employ foreign researchers at lower wages than American workers, Vice President JD Vance announced Thursday. 

The investigation, disclosed October 8, is being conducted by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, which has issued subpoenas seeking information about visa practices, foreign funding, and possible foreign influence in university research. 

The institutions under scrutiny are Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, Arizona State University, the University of Pittsburgh, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the California Institute of Technology, and the University of California, Davis. 

Vance accused the universities of relying excessively on foreign researchers for projects supported by federal grants. 

“Something weird is going on at these universities,” Vance said. “They’re using these visas way too much. They’re using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop.” 

According to Vance, J-1 visa holders account for approximately 61% of researchers working on federally funded projects at the nine institutions, compared with a national average of 38%. He did not explain the methodology behind those figures. 

The J-1 program permits foreign nationals to enter the United States temporarily for academic exchanges, research, teaching, and professional training. 

Harvard spokesperson Jason Newton confirmed that the university had received a subpoena and was reviewing it, The Harvard Crimson reported. 

No findings of fraud have been announced. 

Harvard previously faced a State Department investigation into its participation in the exchange visitor program in July 2025, alongside federal scrutiny of its international student policies. 

The latest investigation forms part of a wider administration campaign targeting employment-based immigration. On Thursday, officials also announced restrictions on several technology companies, including Microsoft, concerning their ability to sponsor foreign workers for permanent residency.