Yuchen Jin, CTO of Hyperbolic Labs, faced a shocking US green card denial due to a USCIS error linking his work to Apple. Read about the confusion and reactions from the tech community.
AI Startup Co-Founder’s Green Card Denied in Major US Immigration Blunder; Reason – Apple Connection
In a major immigration blunder, Yuchen Jin, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and co-founder of the AI startup Hyperbolic Labs, recently faced an unexpected denial of his US green card application by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The denial letter from USCIS claimed that Jin’s work lacked “impact beyond that of Apple, Inc.,” even though Jin has never worked at Apple. The USCIS officer erroneously linked his work to the tech giant, an issue that Jin himself pointed out in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Jin expressed his frustration over the denial, criticizing the agency for careless document review, which he believes led to the erroneous rejection. In his post, he said, “USCIS just denied my US green card application. Claiming my work lacks impact ‘beyond that of Apple, Inc.’ — even though they acknowledge that I am the Apple CTO. WTF? I have NEVER worked at Apple! I got my CS PhD, co-founded an AI startup, and raised $20M. Yet, after waiting an entire year, I’m rejected with this absurd reasoning.”
Reactions to USCIS Blunder
The reaction from the tech community and venture capitalists has been one of disbelief and support for Jin. Deedy Das, a VC at Menlo Ventures, commented that this was not the first time he had witnessed USCIS blunders. He suggested that while the case might involve a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID), Jin could potentially petition for a clear error, but the chances were slim. He further advised Jin to consider withdrawing his application and reapplying, as he had seen similar cases approved on the second attempt.
One user added that they were also facing challenges with their green card process and mentioned that their visa lawyer had pointed out a drop in quality and quantity at USCIS, hinting at a larger systemic issue.
Jeff Dean, the Chief Scientist at Google DeepMind, expressed his frustration as well, noting that the US should be encouraging talented people like Jin to come to the country, rather than rejecting them due to carelessness. He said, “That’s beyond frustrating. We should want talented people to come to this country! You deserve better than a cursory denial where it’s clear the person didn’t even look carefully at the application.”
Others took to social media to joke about the situation, with one user quipping, “I’d be willing to bet they have a form letter and forgot to change parts of it.”
High-Skilled Immigrants and USCIS Challenges
This incident highlights broader concerns about high-skilled immigration in the US. Jin’s rejection is seen as part of a troubling trend where talented individuals are caught in bureaucratic missteps. In a post, Jin voiced his hopes for reform, stating, “I really hope DOGE, with @elonmusk, @sriramk, and @DavidSacks, can fix the system and accelerate high-skilled immigration. High-skilled immigrants are America’s secret weapon. It should be merit-based — not left to some USCIS officer carelessly reviewing documents and copy-pasting rejection reasons!”
As tech startups continue to drive innovation and job creation, the visa and green card process remains a critical component for attracting global talent. Mistakes like this one raise questions about how the US immigration system is functioning and whether it is truly supporting high-skilled professionals.
For now, Jin’s situation remains unresolved, but with support from the tech community, it’s clear that this issue is far from over.
