US investigates 9 universities over alleged visa fraud, with focus on China
Por Han Li — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement US-China relations US US investigates 9 universities over alleged visa fraud, with focus on China
Harvard, Yale, Stanford and MIT are among schools facing scrutiny over alleged visa abuse and Chinese influence on federally funded research
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN
Han Li in Washington, DC Published: 3:05am, 9 Oct 2026
The Trump administration is launching an investigation into nine US universities over alleged J-1 visa fraud, with officials raising concerns about Chinese scholars and the Chinese government.
The J-1 programme covers exchange visitors including international researchers, scholars and students, who may receive temporary authorisation to work or conduct research in the US.
At a Thursday press conference, Anthony D’Esposito, inspector general of the US Department of Labor, announced what he called a “historic investigation” into J-1 visa fraud at Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State University and MIT. Subpoenas have been issued to the universities, officials said.
Standing alongside Vice-President J.D. Vance and other White House officials, D’Esposito singled out China, warning that the Chinese government need not break into US research labs if institutions leave their doors open.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
