OpenAI GPT-4.5 Researcher Exits U.S. After Green Card Denial Amid Visa Crackdown

OpenAI researcher Kai Chen, who contributed to GPT-4.5, was forced to leave the U.S. after her green card was denied—highlighting growing immigration issues impacting America’s AI talent.

The United States may be undermining its own AI dominance. Kai Chen, a top-tier AI researcher and contributor to OpenAI’s GPT-4.5, has been forced to leave the country after her green card application was denied—despite living and working in the U.S. for over 12 years.

Chen, a Canadian citizen, shared the news via social media, confirming she would be relocating to Vancouver for an “indeterminate amount of time.” The situation has sent shockwaves across the AI research community and reignited debate around the U.S. immigration system’s impact on technological innovation.

“It’s deeply concerning that one of the best AI researchers I’ve worked with was denied a green card,” wrote OpenAI’s Noam Brown on X. “We’re risking America’s AI leadership when we turn away talent like this.”

🔍 Paperwork Error or Policy Shift?

An OpenAI spokesperson told Decrypt that Chen’s application was filed before she joined the company and was not originally handled by OpenAI. However, the spokesperson added that the company believes a paperwork issue might be to blame and is now working closely with Chen to help resolve the situation.

“Our initial assessment shows there may have been paperwork issues in the filing,” OpenAI stated.

While this may sound like a one-off bureaucratic error, experts point to a larger pattern.

🛑 The Trump Immigration Clampdown

Since Donald Trump’s return to office in January 2025, the administration has aggressively tightened immigration and visa policies. Green card denials, visa delays, and new H-1B restrictions—including biometric requirements and home address disclosures—have created an atmosphere of uncertainty for high-skill foreign workers.

“The changes are having a chilling effect on the scientific community,” Nature reported. A recent poll found that 75% of researchers surveyed are considering leaving the U.S. for opportunities in Europe or Canada.

The government also recently paused processing green cards for refugees and asylum seekers and halted efforts to revoke student visa records—pending further policy clarification.

⚠️ AI Sector at Risk

The AI industry could be particularly affected. A 2023 report from the National Foundation for American Policy noted that 66% of the top 50 U.S.-based AI startups had at least one immigrant founder. Additionally, nearly 70% of AI-focused graduate students in the U.S. are international.

Chen’s sudden departure brings this data into sharp focus. Described as “crucial” to the development of GPT-4.5, she now finds herself barred from the country where she helped shape one of the most advanced AI systems to date.

“It’s nuts,” said OpenAI colleague Dylan Hunn. “We’re losing brilliant minds because of bureaucracy.”

Even though OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has previously spoken in favor of immigration reform for tech talent, he has remained publicly silent on Chen’s case so far.

As political and legal pressures grow, the U.S. risks an AI brain drain at the very moment global competition in artificial intelligence intensifies.

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