PITTSBURGH — Pitt is among nine universities subpoenaed in a federal investigation over alleged fraud in the J-1 visa program.
Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito announced the probe during a White House Fraud Task Force meeting Thursday morning.
“Subpoenas have been served. Investigations are underway. And nobody gets a free pass because their name is carved into an expensive building,” D’Esposito said. “Improperly used J-1 visa classifications to avoid employment obligations, exploit taxpayer-funded programs, and undermine American workers will not be tolerated.”
Also named in the investigation are Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Brown, UC Davis, Caltech, Arizona State University and MIT.
The DOL Office of Inspector General alleges that about 61% of postdoctoral workers and researchers supported by federal grants at the nine universities are foreign nationals, whereas it’s 38% at other institutions.
Investigators seek to identify “misuse and misapplication” in the J-1 visa program, which pays out billions in federal research funding, according to a release.
A Pitt spokesperson provided Channel 11 with this statement Thursday evening:
“We have received and are reviewing a subpoena from the Department of Labor that asks a number of questions about our participation in their visa programs. The University participates in federal visa programs, including the J-1 program, in accordance with all applicable federal requirements.”
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