The Trump administration announced on Thursday, Oct. 8, that it is investigating nine universities, including three California-based institutions, for allegedly committing J-1 visa fraud by "improperly" employing international scholars to work and conduct research in the country.
Vice President JD Vance's announced the investigation as part of a broader effort by the federal government to crack down on the alleged abuse of the nation's visa programs by universities and American companies to "undercut the wages of American workers" by hiring international scholars and workers through either a J-1 or H-1B visa.
Specifically, the J-1 visa program lets international students temporarily enter the country to study, teach, conduct research, and receive
on-the-job training as part of their education. The H-1B visa allows American companies to temporarily hire foreign workers for specialized roles they struggle to fill with qualified American employees.
"We also see a lot of J-1 visa fraud, and this is where some of America's most elite universities bring in foreigners, again, to undercut the wages of American residents," Vance said during the press conference.
He noted that, on average, American graduate students and researchers made about $20,000 more than their foreign student counterparts on J-1 visas, and highlighted that the nine universities at the center of these accusations had an abnormally high rate of J-1 visa holders employed as postdoctoral researchers.
The administration's anti-fraud task force is investigating Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"These universities are employing J1 (visa holders) for federally funded grants at a rate of about 61%. The national average is 38%. So something weird is going on at these universities," he added.
"They're using them to undercut the wages of American grad students and American researchers, and it simply has to stop."
Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D'Esposito announced that the department would lead the investigation and had already issued subpoenas to the nine universities, noting that "nobody will be getting a free pass because their name is carved into an expensive building."
"American taxpayers send billions of dollars to these universities to support research and innovation," D'Esposito said during the press conference.
He also noted that the administration focused on investigating these universities for "national security," pointing to the high number of "foreign nationals," specifically naming China, who were employed at these institutions.
"The Chinese Communist Party doesn't need to kick down the doors of America's research laboratories if our own institutions are willing to leave the doors wide open," D'Esposito said.
"The Chinese Communist Party is a sophisticated adversary actively targeting American technology, intellectual property, and national security interests. We will investigate whether foreign influence, improper financial relationships, or visa abuse are compromising federally funded research."
D'Esposito noted that if any institution were found to be "breaking the law to save a dollar," the federal government would label the action "institutional betrayal" and prosecute individuals involved in the fraud.
It's unclear how many postdoctoral students at the three California universities are employed on J-1 visas.
The University of California, Davis' website indicates the university employs about 750 postdoctoral students, but it does not break down the percentage of international versus domestic students.
Similarly, Caltech notes on its website that it employs about 600 postdoctoral scholars, but it does not publicly release the percentage of international versus domestic students.
Stanford, by contrast, notes in its 2026 facts brochure that it employs about 2,600 postdoctoral students, with "about 66 percent of postdocs are international, bringing perspectives from varied cultures and backgrounds to Stanford."
In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, a spokesperson for UC Davis and Stanford said they have complied with all "applicable visa laws" and would cooperate with the investigation. Caltech did not respond to the Los Angeles Times' request for comment.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at npadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social. Sign up for the TODAY Californian newsletter or follow us on Facebook at TODAY Californian.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump admin to investigate 3 CA universities for alleged visa fraud
