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A Canadian artificial intelligence (AI) researcher who has lived in the United States for 12 years and worked on ChatGPT was denied a green card, according to employees at parent company OpenAI through a series of posts on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek reached out to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by email outside of normal business hours on Saturday morning for comment.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump pledged to enact the largest crackdown on immigration in the country’s history, initiating mass deportations that remain mired in legal gridlock amid challenges from various states and legal authorities.
However, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both initially tapped by Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) together, championed a focus on an expansion of programs like the H-1B visa, a temporary, nonimmigrant visa that allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers for seasonal or short-term nonagricultural jobs, to increase the number of high-skill immigrants.
What To Know
Noam Brown, a researcher at OpenAI, on Friday morning wrote on X that he was “deeply concerned” about the immigration status of Kai Chen, a Canadian citizen who has lived and worked in the U.S. for 12 years who was forced to leave after her green card application was denied.
“It’s deeply concerning that one of the best AI researchers I’ve worked with, [Kai Chen], was denied a U.S. green card today,” Brown wrote, adding, “We’re risking America’s AI leadership when we turn away talent like this.”
Dylan Hunn, another OpenAI employee, echoed Brown’s sentiment just hours later, saying that Chen was “incredibly important to OpenAI” as she was “crucial for GPT-4.5.”
“Our immigration system has gone *nuts* to kick her out,” Hunn wrote. “America needs her!”
Brown later wrote on X that Chen planned to work remotely from an Airbnb in Vancouver and go “full monk mode” to keep up with her projects while the immigration issue resolved. Chen tried to meet the moment with optimism, writing in response to Brown that she would indeed be in Vancouver “for an indeterminate amount of time” and would be “excited about meeting new people.”
“Hopefully will return home sometime this year but if not shall make the best of it,” Chen wrote, later adding in a separate post that OpenAI has been “incredibly supportive during this kerfuffle.”
Brown provided an update shortly before midnight that it seemed as though “there might have been paperwork issues with the initial green card filing” done two years earlier.
“It’s a shame that this means [Chen] has to leave the U.S. for a while but there’s reason for optimism that this will be resolved,” Brown wrote on X.
Chen clarified the situation further, saying she had filed for the green card three years ago before her time at OpenAI.
“Really sucks to get denied after waiting for so long and unable to return home, but all in all feel very lucky to be where I am,” she wrote.
A person displays the ChatGPT logo on a smartphone screen with the OpenAI logo in the background on December 29, 2024, in Chongqing, China.
Cheng Xin/Getty Images
What Protections Do Green Card Holders Have?
The USCIS says a green card holder has the right to live permanently in the U.S. provided they don’t commit any actions that “would make you removable under immigration law.” This includes breaking laws and not filing taxes.
A green card holder is protected by all U.S. laws, including those at the state and local levels, and they can apply for jobs more freely than those who may be in the U.S. on work-based visas.
Travel is also far easier with a green card than with other temporary visas, but holders must make sure they do not leave for more than six months at a time.
“There’s a reason why somebody would want a green card versus to be here on a temporary visa because it is lawful permanent residence, it gives you the ability to live and work permanently in the United States. But that said, it is not citizenship,” Eliss Taub, a partner at immigration law firm Siskind Susser, previously told Newsweek.
Green card holders must renew their cards every 10 years and can apply for citizenship after three years if they are married to a U.S. citizen or five if not.
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for OpenAI told Newsweek in an email response to a request for comment: “This application was filed some time prior to our employee joining OpenAI and we were not involved in the case. However, our initial assessment, based on the information provided to us, shows there may have been some paperwork issues in the filing. We’re continuing to work closely with our employee on their situation.”
Noam Brown, an OpenAI employee, wrote on X on Saturday: “I’ve been in AI since 2012, and I’ve seen enough visa horror stories since then to know that the brokenness of high-skilled immigration in America is persistent. It’s particularly painful to see that brokenness slow down my teammate for 2+ months when AI progress is week to week.”
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in 2023 wrote on X: “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.”
Shaun Ralston, an independent contractor providing support for OpenAI’s API customers, wrote on X on Friday: …@OpenAI filed 80+ new H-1Bs last year alone. How many more brilliant minds will the Trump administration push away to other countries? Hey, MAGA, fix the talent pipeline or stop talking about AI leadership.”
Matt Teagarden, the CEO of the Kansas Livestock Association, earlier this month told Newsweek: “Businesses are making certain their employment document files are in order. They also are confirming their rights and responsibilities in this area as well as helping their employees understand their rights.”
What Happens Next?
Chen’s green card application will take time to resolve, but it appears the root issue has been identified, making it more likely she’ll be able to return to the U.S. sooner than later.
Update, 4/26/25 at 4:52 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from OpenAI.