A federal court just pulled the plug on one of the most aggressive immigration fee hikes in recent memory. US District Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications is unlawful, finding it exceeds presidential authority and amounts to an unauthorized tax.
The ruling, handed down on June 8-9, 2026, vacates a policy that stemmed from a presidential proclamation issued on September 19, 2025. For context, standard H-1B visa fees previously ranged from $2,000 to $5,000. The new fee represented a roughly 20x to 50x increase, depending on the baseline.
What the court actually said
Judge Sorokin’s decision rested on multiple legal grounds. The court found that the $100,000 fee violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, breaches the Administrative Procedure Act, and constitutes a tax that only Congress has the power to levy.
The lawsuit was brought by a coalition of 20 states, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
