State Department Investigates Harvard’s Eligibility to Sponsor Visiting Scholar Visa

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the probe will make sure the visa program complies with national interests.

Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on June 8, 2025. Learner Liu/The Epoch Times

The State Department has opened an investigation into Harvard University’s eligibility as a sponsor of the J visa, a nonimmigrant visa allowing foreign nationals to come to the United States as students, teachers, and researchers.

In a statement on July 23, Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the legal obligations of institutions participating in the J visa program, formally known as the exchange visitor program.