Legal Challenge Mounts Against Trump Administration’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

The Trump administration faces legal opposition concerning its decision to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. Higher education professionals, labor unions, and a staffing agency have initiated a lawsuit. Filed in a federal court in San Francisco, this represents the first major legal test of the Trump administration’s H-1B visa plan. Plaintiffs include the Justice Action Center, the Democracy Forward Foundation, and the South Asian American Justice Collaborative. Last month, the former president signed a proclamation mandating the $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications. The White House argued the visa program had been ‘abused’ and negatively impacted domestic workers, suggesting the new fee would discourage companies from hiring foreign workers instead of Americans. Indian workers, who constitute approximately 70% of H-1B visa recipients, are expected to be significantly affected, with around 300,000 highly skilled Indians currently employed in the U.S. under the program.