Vice President JD Vance called for increased scrutiny of Arizona State University and eight other universities, alleging they use J-1 visas to hire international researchers and graduate students at lower pay than American workers. Vance made the accusations Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, at a news conference. J-1 visas allow international visitors to enter the United States for work-and-study exchange programs. Vance said the universities’ use of the visas was unusually high and described the practice as an effort to undercut American graduate students and researchers. He claimed American graduate students and researchers earn about $20,000 more than people hired under J-1 visas. He also said J-1 visa holders account for about 61% of university employment on federally funded grants at the schools he cited, compared with a national average of 38%. Those figures were Vance’s assertions at the event. The other universities he named were Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Brown, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California, Davis, the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Vance did not announce findings of an investigation; he said the schools should face increased scrutiny. ASU rejected the allegations, saying it hires the talent needed to support its research and education work in compliance with U.S. law and policy. The university said it educates more STEM majors than any other university and employs one of the country’s largest technical and scientific workforces, benefiting Arizona and the national economy. The dispute came as the Trump administration announced actions against several companies in the separate H-1B worker visa program. J-1 and H-1B are distinct visa categories, and Vance’s comments about universities focused on J-1 use.