OpenAI Researcher Denied Green Card, Highlighting Immigration Challenges for AI Talent

An OpenAI researcher who worked on GPT-4.5 had their green card denied | TechCrunch

Kai Chen, a Canadian AI researcher working at OpenAI who's lived in the U.S. for 12 years, was denied a green card, according to Noam Brown, a leading research scientist at the company. In a post on X, Brown said that Chen learned of the decision Friday and must soon leave the country. "It's deeply concerning that one of the best AI researchers I've worked with [...] was denied a U.S. green card," wrote Brown. "A Canadian who's lived and contributed here for 12 years now has to leave. We're risking America's AI leadership when we turn away talent like this." Another OpenAI employee, Dylan Hunn, said in a post that Chen was "crucial" for GPT-4.5, one of OpenAI's flagship AI models. Green cards can be denied for all sorts of reasons, and the decision won't cost Chen her job. In a follow-up post, Brown said that Chen plans to work remotely from an Airbnb in Vancouver "until [the] mess hopefully gets sorted out." But it's the latest example of foreign talent facing high barriers to living, working, and studying in the U.S. under the Trump administration. OpenAI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, in a post on X in July 2023, CEO Sam Altman called for changes to make it easier for "high-skill" immigrants to move to and work in the U.S. Over the past few months, more than 1,700 international students in the U.S., including AI researchers who've lived in the country for a number of years, have had their visa statuses challenged as part of an aggressive crackdown. While the government has accused some of these students of supporting Palestinian militant groups or engaging in "antisemitic" activities, others have been targeted for minor legal infractions, like speeding tickets or other traffic violations. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has turned a skeptical eye toward many green card applicants, reportedly suspending processing of requests for legal permanent residency submitted by immigrants granted refugee or asylum status. It has also taken a hardline approach to green card holders it perceives as "national security" threats, detaining and threatening several with deportation. AI labs like OpenAI rely heavily on foreign research talent. According to Shaun Ralston, an OpenAI contractor providing support for the company's API customers, OpenAI filed more than 80 applications for H1-B visas last year alone and has sponsored more than 100 visas since 2022. H1-B visas, favored by the tech industry, allow U.S. companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in "specialty occupations" that require at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent. Recently, immigration officials have begun issuing "requests for evidence" for H-1Bs and other employment-based immigration petitions, asking for home addresses and biometrics, a change some experts worry may lead to an uptick in denied applications. Immigrants have played a major role in contributing to the growth of the U.S. AI industry. According to a study from Georgetown's Center for Security and Emerging Technology, 66% of the 50 "most promising" U.S.-based AI startups on Forbes' 2019 "AI 50" list had an immigrant founder. A 2023 analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy found that 70% of full-time graduate students in fields related to AI are international students. 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 model architecture that underpins chatbots like ChatGPT. One of the co-founders 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 hostility to certain sciences have many researchers contemplating moving out of the country. Responding to a Nature poll of over 1,600 scientists, 75% said that they were considering leaving for jobs abroad.

OpenAI Researcher Behind GPT-4.5 Forced to Leave US After Green Card Denial - Decrypt

Despite advocating for high-skill immigration, OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman has thus far been silent on the incident. An OpenAI researcher who helped develop GPT-4.5 had her green card application rejected last week, forcing her to leave the United States after living and working in the country for 12 years. Kai Chen -- a Canadian citizen -- announced on social media that she'll be relocating to Vancouver for "an indeterminate amount of time" following the denial. Chen's colleague at OpenAI, research scientist Noam Brown, expressed dismay at the decision. "It's deeply concerning that one of the best AI researchers I've worked with, @kaicathyc, was denied a U.S. green card today," Brown wrote on X. "A Canadian who's lived and contributed here for 12 years now has to leave. We're risking America's AI leadership when we turn away talent like this." Chen's situation is just part of a growing challenge for the American tech sector under Trump's tightened immigration policies, which began after his January 2025 inauguration. The denial comes amid increased scrutiny of both visa holders and green card applicants, with more than a thousand international students facing visa challenges in recent months. The situation has resulted in over a hundred lawsuits, and on Friday, the Trump Administration hit the pause button on its efforts to revoke Student and Exchange Visitor Program records until a clear policy is designed. The government also suspended processing of green card requests for immigrants granted refugee or asylum status, and introduced new H-1B visa requirements, including providing home addresses and biometrics, according to reports. The visa crackdown has had a chilling effect on the scientific community. A Nature poll found that 75% of respondents -- more than 1,600 scientists in total -- are now considering leaving the U.S. for positions abroad, primarily to Europe and Canada. "The massive changes in U.S. research brought about by the new administration of President Donald Trump are causing many scientists in the country to rethink their lives and careers," Nature reported. This talent exodus could hit the AI sector particularly hard. Statistics show that 66% of the 50 most promising U.S.-based AI startups had at least one immigrant founder, and nearly 70% of full-time AI-related graduate students in America are international, based on a 2023 analysis published by the National Foundation for American Policy. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, has previously advocated for easier high-skill immigration pathways. However, he has not said anything publicly regarding Chen's situation. Despite these efforts, researchers like Chen are finding themselves caught in the administration's immigration dragnet. Another OpenAI colleague, Dylan Hunn, described Chen as "crucial" to the development of GPT-4.5, saying it was "nuts" to kick her out of the country. The Immigration and Nationality Act gives the Secretary of State broad authority to revoke visas if a foreign national's presence or activities could have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences" for the U.S. This provision has reportedly been used to target hundreds of visa holders in recent months, as there is no clear barrier on what constitutes an adverse consequence.