A federal judge's decision to strike down President Donald Trump's controversial $100,000 H-1B visa fee removes a major cost burden for large technology employers that continue to rely heavily on skilled foreign talent.
Federal Judge Blocks Trump's H-1B Visa Fee On Monday, U.S.
District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston ruled that the Trump administration lacked authority to impose the massive fee on certain new H-1B visa applications, calling the payment effectively a tax that Congress never authorized.
"Here, the substance and application of the $100,000 payment reveal that it is a tax, regardless of what the payment is called," Sorokin wrote in his ruling.
The administration had argued the fee was a lawful penalty intended to curb overreliance on foreign labor and protect American workers.
