The U.S. Department of Labor announced a formal investigation into the J‑1 visa programmes of nine prominent American universities, issuing subpoenas to assess compliance with immigration and employment rules.

Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito named the institutions under review: University of Pittsburgh, Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Brown, UC‑Davis, Caltech, Arizona State and MIT.

Investigators will focus on whether the J‑1 exchange‑visitor programme, which permits foreign nationals to engage in academic study, teaching, research, specialist training and medical education, has been used for purposes beyond its intended scope.

Data presented at the announcement indicated that roughly 61 % of postdoctoral workers and researchers funded by federal grants at the targeted schools are foreign nationals, compared with 38 % at other institutions.

While the figures alone do not prove rule violations, they form part of a broader review of how international researchers are employed in federally funded programmes and whether visa classifications align with labour and immigration requirements.

The investigation was disclosed during a White House Fraud Task Force event attended by senior officials, including Vice‑President J.D. Vance and Labour Secretary Keith Sonderling, where D’Esposito warned that university prestige would not shield institutions from scrutiny.

In parallel, the Department announced two enforcement initiatives: a Visa Fraud Strike Team coordinating multiple agencies on J‑1 and H‑1B fraud, and a Labour Inspector General Most Wanted List targeting individuals alleged to have caused over $250 million in losses.