US government probe into postdoc visas worries scientists

US Vice-President JD Vance announced on 8 October a federal investigation into nine universities, including Harvard, Stanford and Yale, over their use of J-1 visas to employ international postdoctoral researchers, saying it aims to combat visa fraud. Department of Labor data show about 61% of federally funded postdocs at these nine universities are foreign nationals, versus about 38% at other US institutions; NSF data show 58% of roughly 70,000 US postdocs in science, engineering and health in 2024 held temporary visas. Several universities said they had received subpoenas and emphasized compliance with visa rules, while researchers interviewed criticized the investigation's rationale and expressed concern for international researchers.