$100,000 H-1B visa fee row: US Chamber of Commerce sues Trump admin, claims federal law violation
The US. Chamber of Commerce sued the Trump administration, claiming its new $100,000 H-1B visa fee hurts small businesses and violates federal law.
President Donald Trump’s plan to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications has triggered a lawsuit from one of the nation’s largest business groups.
The US Chamber of Commerce filed the complaint Thursday against the Departments of Homeland Security and State, arguing the new fee would hurt small and midsize businesses and violates federal law.
“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, the Chamber’s executive vice president and chief policy officer.
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A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security referred questions to the White House, where Taylor Rogers defended the president’s decision.
“The Administration’s actions are lawful and are a necessary, initial, incremental step towards necessary reforms to the H-1B program,” she told as reported by Newsweek.
The Chamber’s lawsuit claims the new fee would make it nearly impossible for smaller firms to hire skilled foreign workers and would ultimately harm the US economy. The group also said Trump lacked the authority to impose the fee without congressional approval.
“The Proclamation is not only misguided policy; it is plainly unlawful,” the complaint states. “The President has significant authority over the entry of noncitizens into the United States, but that authority is bounded by statute and cannot directly contradict laws passed by Congress.”
The Chamber argues that the H-1B program has long supported economic growth by allowing companies to recruit global talent in fields where domestic labor is limited. “These workers allow businesses of all sizes, in industries across the economy, to innovate and grow,” the group said. “The resulting innovations lead to more American jobs, higher wages, and new products and services that improve the quality of life for all Americans.”
Chamber praised Trump’s efforts to secure the US-Mexico border
Despite its opposition to the visa fee, the Chamber praised Trump’s efforts to secure the US-Mexico border and said it supported reforms that strengthen the immigration system.
“The president deserves credit for securing our nation’s border,” Bradley said. “With the border secure, we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accomplish targeted legal immigration reforms, and we stand ready to work with Congress and the administration to make that happen.”
The $100,000 fee has not yet taken full effect, according to immigration attorneys, who say the new charge has not appeared in the current H-1B application process.
