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.
one of the easiest 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 gift; embracing them is the key to keeping it that way.hard to get this back if we lose it.— Sam Altman (@sama) July 2, 2023
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 refu …