Research universities have worried that the fee could hamper their ability to recruit foreign workers and fill critical roles, including in medical centers.
Photo illustration by Justin Morrison/Inside Higher Ed | Evgenia Parajanian/iStock/Getty Images
A federal judge vacated the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, agreeing with the Democratic-led states that sued that the fee exceeded the administration’s authority.
H-1B visas permit employers to hire employees from outside the U.S. for specialized roles, particularly in tech. In 2025, more than 16,700 college and university employees were approved to work on H-1B visas, though that number was concentrated at 100 major research institutions, according to an analysis of federal data. Stanford University alone had more than 500 visas approved last fiscal year.
In September, Trump established the $100,000 application fee, which is typically paid by the employer, framing it as a measure to encourage companies to hire Americans. But colleges and other businesses worried that the fee would hurt their ability to recruit foreign workers.
