Trump administration opens visa-related investigations into nine universities, including ASU

The Trump administration said Thursday, October 8, 2026, that it is investigating nine universities, including Harvard, Yale, Stanford and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, over alleged misuse of a visa program used by foreign scholars and researchers. The move adds new pressure on some of the country’s best-known research institutions and extends the administration’s broader effort to police foreign-worker programs.

Officials said the inquiry centers on the J-1 visa program, which is used for exchange visitors such as postdoctoral researchers and other academic participants. The universities named in the investigation also include Brown University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Davis, the California Institute of Technology and Arizona State University. The administration has not publicly detailed the specific allegations against each school.

The announcement came during a day of intensified federal action aimed at visas and skilled foreign labor. The administration also said it was taking steps against Microsoft over its use of a separate immigration pathway for high-skilled workers, underscoring a wider campaign that officials have framed as a response to fraud and abuse in federal visa programs.

Broader scrutiny of foreign talent and funding

The universities named in the probe are major research institutions with large international academic communities, and any investigation into visa compliance could affect hiring, fellowship programs and laboratory staffing. In recent years, federal agencies have repeatedly focused on universities’ foreign ties, including reporting requirements for foreign gifts and contracts under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act.

Harvard, MIT, Stanford and Yale have all faced separate federal scrutiny in recent years over foreign funding disclosures and other issues involving international connections. The Education Department has previously published foreign-funding figures showing that those schools were among the largest recipients of disclosed foreign money among American universities. The new visa inquiry is separate from those disclosure reviews, but it fits a broader pattern of federal attention to foreign influence on campuses.

It was not immediately clear whether the universities had received formal notices detailing the allegations or what timeline investigators are using. At least some of the schools said they would review any documents or subpoenas once received. The administration did not say when the investigation would conclude or whether additional universities could be added.