White House probes university J-1 visa use and suspends green-card filings for select tech firms
The administration announced investigations into several universities' use of J-1 visas and barred eight technology companies, including Microsoft, from filing permanent-labor-certification green-card petitions for H-1B workers.
The White House said on Thursday that it will investigate whether a group of universities, including Stanford, Caltech and UC Davis, are misusing the J-1 exchange-visitor visa program for international scholars and students. The probe will also extend to Harvard, Yale, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State and MIT. At the same time, the administration announced a suspension of permanent-labor-certification green-card applications for eight technology firms—Microsoft, Adobe, Cognizant, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, HCL and Capgemini—citing alleged abuse of the H-1B program.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters that the schools are “using these visas way too much” and that the practice “undercuts the wages of American grad students and American researchers.” He added that Microsoft has “abused the permanent labor certification program” to hire foreign talent at lower wages.
Labor Department Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito said subpoenas have been issued and warned that no institution will receive a “free pass.”
Microsoft responded that its H-1B filings represent only about 1% of its U.S. workforce and that most petitions are to extend or change status for existing employees. The company said it complies with the visa category’s rigorous standards.
Immigration lawyers clarified that the action is not a blanket ban on green-card filings but a targeted enforcement freeze for the named companies. Critics of the H-1B program argue it has been prone to fraud, while industry observers warn the restrictions could deter skilled foreign talent.
The visa crackdown follows other recent policy moves, including a proposed $70,000 fee for Optional Practical Training and an effort to end the “duration of status” rule that allows students to remain in the U.S. for the length of their academic programs. A federal judge has blocked the latter change, and the administration is appealing.
University spokespeople said their institutions comply with all applicable visa laws and will cooperate with the investigations. Data from the State Department show a decline in J-1 participants, with 275,000 arrivals in 2025, down from 301,694 in 2024, and a 27% drop in new research scholars compared with the previous year.