US EditionDemocratic states sue Trump administration over new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas
A coalition of 20 Democratic attorneys general argue the $100,000 fee unlawfully exceeds authority and worsens shortages in health care, education, and research sectors.
- On December 12, 2025, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell led a coalition of 20 states suing in Massachusetts federal court to block the new $100,000 H-1B fee.
- Implemented by the Department of Homeland Security through written documents, the policy imposes a $100,000 surcharge on H-1B petitions filed after September 21, 2025, bypassing required Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking.
- Employers typically pay between $960 and $7,595 in regulatory and statutory fees, with nearly 30,000 educators and nearly 17,000 health‑sector H-1B holders relying on the program.
- Hospitals, schools and universities could face staffing shortfalls, with the lawsuit warning the $100,000 fee burdens state and private employers, blocking hires and worsening vacancies.
- This states' complaint is at least the third legal challenge, with separate lawsuits by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a judge set to hold a hearing next week.
128 Articles
128 Articles
Hawaii joins lawsuit against Trump’s $100K H-1B visa fee | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The attorneys general of 20 states, including Hawaii and California,sued the Trump administration Friday over its decision to impose a $100,000 fee on visas for skilled foreign workers.
20 states file suit against Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee
SAN FRANCISCO — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday that he and 19 other states are suing the Trump administration over its policy to hike fees on new H-1B visa petitions to $100,000. Bonta claimed that the increases for the skilled-worker visa are illegal because they exceed what Congress has authorized and undermine its intent in establishing the program. All of the states joining the lawsuit have Democratic attorneys genera…
The US relies on skilled workers from abroad. But the visa fee for them has climbed from a few thousand to $100,000. California and other states refuse to accept this.
20 States Challenge Trump's $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas in Court
NEWS BRIEF California and 19 other U.S. states have filed a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers, calling it an illegal overreach that will cripple vital services like healthcare and education. The White House defends the fee as a lawful measure to prevent program abuse, […] The post 20 States Challenge Trump’s $100,000 Fee for H-1B Visas in Court appeared first on Modern Diplomacy.
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