The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Thursday filed a lawsuit over the Trump administration imposing a $100,000 fee to the H-1B worker visas.
Last month President Donald Trump announced plans that would see U.S. companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B visas -- which allows companies to temporarily hire foreign workers in skilled occupations in various fields, including technology and engineering -- in an attempt to rework the program.
In a release regarding the lawsuit on Thursday, the Chamber called the new fee unlawful since it “overrides provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that govern the H-1B program, including the requirement that fees be based on the costs incurred by the government in processing visas.”
“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilize the H-1B program, which was created by Congress expressly to ensure that American businesses of all sizes can access the global talent they need to grow their operations here in the U.S.,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and chief policy officer at the U.S. Chamber in the release.
A White House representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
