US Federal Judge Blocks Trump's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

A US federal judge has blocked a Trump administration rule requiring a $100,000 fee for each new H-1B visa application, determining the charge was effectively a tax that exceeded the president's authority. Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that only Congress has the power to create new taxes and that the government cannot circumvent this by relabeling a tax as a fee or penalty. The policy was challenged by 20 Democratic state attorneys general who contended it would make it prohibitively expensive for public universities, schools, and hospitals to hire qualified international staff. The Trump administration had defended the fee as part of immigration enforcement and efforts to limit foreign worker entry. The H-1B program allows up to 85,000 new visas annually and typically involves employers paying several thousand dollars in standard administrative costs; the $100,000 charge represented a dramatic increase. Court records indicated only about 85 employers had paid the fee before it was halted through legal challenge.