Judge invalidates $100,000 H‑1B application fee
newsJun 8, 202629861
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston struck down the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions, ruling the charge an unlawful tax that the president lacked authority to impose. Sorokin said Congress never authorized such a tax and found the policy applied to initial H-1B applicants seeking employer sponsorship. The court noted the fee had discouraged companies from filing H-1B petitions and left many highly skilled foreign workers unable to secure sponsorship. The ruling removes a steep cost barrier for employers and applicants and could increase hiring of foreign tech and research professionals nationwide.
