Topics

previous

AI

Amazon

Article image

Image Credits:Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

Apps

Biotech & Health

clime

Cloud Computing

Commerce

Crypto

Enterprise

EVs

Fintech

Fundraising

Gadgets

bet on

Google

Government & Policy

computer hardware

Instagram

layoff

Media & Entertainment

Meta

Microsoft

Privacy

Robotics

security measures

Social

infinite

startup

TikTok

Transportation

Venture

More from TechCrunch

Events

Startup Battlefield

StrictlyVC

newssheet

Podcasts

Videos

Partner Content

TechCrunch Brand Studio

Crunchboard

Contact Us

Kai Chen , a Canadian AI investigator work at OpenAI who ’s lived in the U.S. for 12 years , was abnegate a greenish card , allot to Noam Brown , a leading enquiry scientist at the party . In apost on X , Brown said that Chen get wind of the decision Friday and must soon leave the rural area .

“ It ’s deeply concerning that one of the best AI researchers I ’ve worked with [ … ] was denied a U.S. green card , ” write Brown . “ A Canadian who ’s lived and contribute here for 12 years now has to leave . We ’re risking America ’s AI leadership when we deform away talent like this . ”

Another OpenAI employee , Dylan Hunn , say in apostthat Chen was “ important ” forGPT-4.5 , one of OpenAI ’s flagship AI models .

Green card can be denied forall sorts of reasons , and the decision wo n’t cost Chen her job . In afollow - up station , Brown say that Chen plans to work remotely from an Airbnb in Vancouver “ until [ the ] sight hopefully gets sorted out . ” But it ’s the latest example of alien endowment face high barriers to living , working , and study in the U.S. under the Trump administration .

OpenAI did n’t immediately reply to a postulation for comment . However , in apost on ex in July 2023 , CEO Sam Altman called for changes to make it easy for “ gamy - acquisition ” immigrant to move to and work in the U.S.

one of the easiest insurance policy wins i can imagine for the US is to reform high - skill immigration.the fact that many of the most talented people in the world want to be here is a hard - won endowment ; embracing them is the Florida key to keep it that way.hard to get this back if we lose it .

In a program line emailed after this story was published , an OpenAI representative say : “ This app was filed some clip prior to our employee connect OpenAI and we were not involved in the suit . However , our initial assessment , found on the data offer to us , shows there may have been some paperwork upshot in the filing . We ’re continue to work closely with our employee on their position . ”

Over the past few month , more than 1,700 external student in the U.S. , includingAI researchers who ’ve populate in the land for a number of age , have had their visa condition challenged as part of an belligerent crackdown . While the governmenthas accuse someof these students of abide Palestinian militant groups or betroth in “ antisemitic ” action , others have been point forminor legal infractions , like speeding tickets or other dealings assault .

Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI

Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI

On Friday , the organisation abruptly walk back its cancellation of pupil visa . But the reprieve may be only impermanent . The government tell it ’s working on a “ new system ” for reviewing and give the sack visa for international students .

Meanwhile , the Trump administration has turned a skeptical center toward many green bill applicant , reportedly suspending processingof requests for legal lasting abidance submitted by immigrants granted refugee or mental home status . It has also taken a hardline approach to green card holder it perceives as “ national security ” threats , detaining and threatening several with transportation .

The U.S. just denied immigration to one of the principal research worker behind OpenAI ’s GPT-4.5 . 🤦 🏽‍ ♂ ️@DavidSackshttps://t.co / rXd3vaZj2P

— Ali Partovi ( @apartovi)April 25 , 2025

H-1B visas , favour by the tech diligence , allow U.S. companies to temporarily utilize foreign workers in “ specialty occupations ” that require at least a unmarried man ’s degree or the equivalent . latterly , immigration officials have begun issuing “ request for evidence ” for H-1Bs and other utilisation - based immigration prayer , inquire for nursing home addresses and biometrics , a variety some experts concern may lead to an uptick in abnegate applications .

Immigrants have played a major function in contributing to the increase of the U.S. AI industry .

Accordingto a study from Georgetown ’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology , 66 % of the 50 “ most bright ” U.S.-based AI startups on Forbes ’ 2019 “ AI 50 ” list had an immigrant beginner . A 2023 analysisby the National Foundation for American Policy found that 70 % of full - time grad student in fields related to AI are international scholar .

Ashish Vaswani , who moved to the U.S. to study computer science in the early 2000s , is one of the co - creators of the transformer , the seminal AI role model computer architecture that underpins chatbots like ChatGPT . One of the co - founder of OpenAI , Wojciech Zaremba , earned his doctorate in AI from NYU on a student visa .

The U.S. ’s immigration policies , cutbacks in grant funding , and ill will to certain sciences have many investigator study move out of the country . respond to a Naturepoll of over 1,600 scientist , 75 % said that they were considering leave for jobs abroad .

Updated 5:08 p.m. Pacific : lend a assertion from an OpenAI spokesperson .