An OpenAI researcher who worked on GPT-4.5 had their green card denied
Kai Chen, a Canadian AI researcher who works at OpenAI who has lived in the US for 12 years, was, according to Noam Brown, refused a green card, a leading research scientist at the company. In one Post on XBrown said that Chen heard of the decision on Friday and will soon have to leave the country.
“It is deep what one of the best AI researchers I worked with […] an American green card was denied, “Brown wrote.” A Canadian who has lived and contributed here for 12 years must now leave. We risk the AI leadership of America when we reject talent like this. “
Another OpenAi employee, Dylan Hunn, said in one after That Chen was “crucial” for GPT-4.5, one of the AI models from OpenAi.
Green cards can be refused all sorts of reasonsAnd the decision will not cost her job. In one follow -up postBrown said that Chen intends to work remotely from an Airbnb in Vancouver “to [the] Mess will hopefully be resolved. “But it is the newest example of foreign talent that is confronted with high barriers for life, working and studying in the US under the Trump government.
OpenAi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In one Post on X in July 2023CEO Sam Altman called for changes to make it easier for “high-skill” immigrants to go to and work in the US
In a statement that was e -mailed after this story was published, a spokesperson for OpenAi said: “This application was submitted to OpenAI for a while prior to our employee and we were not involved in the case. Our first assessment, based on the information provided to us, is that there may have been some paper issues in the archiving. We will continue to collaborate with our employee.”
In recent months, More than 1,700 international students in the USIncluding AI researchers who have lived in the country for a number of years have challenged their visa statuses as part of an aggressive performance. While the government has accused some Of these students from supporting Palestinian militant groups or performing “anti -Semitic” activities, others are on the target Small legal violationsSuch as speeding offenses or other traffic violations.
On Friday, the administration abruptly declined its cancellation of Studentvisa. But the delay can only be temporary. The government says it is working on one “new system“For assessing and ending visas for international students.
In the meantime, the Trump government has a skeptical eye aimed at many green card applicants, Allegedly suspending the processing of requests for legal permanent residence permit submitted by immigrants granted refugee or asylum status. It has also opted for a hard approach for holders of green cards that it regards it as “national security” threats, holding and threatening different with deportation.
AI Laboratories such as OpenAI are highly dependent on foreign research talent. According to Shaun RalstonAn independent contractor who offers support for the API customers of OpenAi, opened more than 80 applications for H-1B-VISA last year alone and has sponsored more than 100 Visa since 2022.
The US has just refused immigration to one of the most important researchers behind the GPT-4.5 of OpenAi. 🤦🏽️ @Davidsacks https://t.co/RXD3VAZJ2P
– Ali Partovi (@apartovi) April 25, 2025
H-1B-VISA, favored by the technical industry, enable American companies to temporarily hire foreign employees in “special professions” that at least require a bachelor or equivalent. RecentlyImmigration officials have started issuing “Requests for evidence” for H-1Bs and other employment-based immigration requests, which ask for home addresses and biometrics, a change that some experts are concerned can lead to an increase in refused applications.
Immigrants have played an important role in contributing to the growth of the American AI industry.
According to A study by the Center for Security and Emerging Technology from Georgetown had 66% of the 50 “most promising” American AI startups on the “AI 50” list of Forbes ‘AI 50’ an immigrant founder. An analysis of 2023 The National Foundation for American Policy has shown that 70% of the full -time graduated students in areas with regard to AI are international students.
Ashish Vaswani, who moved to the US in the early 2000s to study computer science, is one of the co-makers of the transformer, the groundbreaking AI model architecture that supports chatbots such as Chatgpt. One of the co-founders of OpenAi, Wojciech Zaremba, obtained his PhD in AI from NYU on a student visa.
US immigration policy, cuts in subsidy finance and hostility towards certain sciences have many researchers considering leaving the country. Respond to a nature Poll of more than 1,600 scientists, 75% said they were considering left for jobs abroad.
Updated 17:08 Pacific: a statement added from a spokesperson for OpenAi.
