US Chamber of Commerce sues Trump to block $100,000 H-1B visa fee

The US Chamber of Commerce has taken the Trump administration to court over a newly introduced $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, arguing that the steep charge breaches federal law and threatens American firms’ access to skilled global talent. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is the Chamber’s first major legal challenge against the administration this term.

It contends that the new fee violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires that visa charges reflect only the actual cost of processing applications rather than serve as a revenue or deterrent measure.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to recruit highly skilled foreign professionals, particularly in technology, engineering, education, and healthcare. The program is widely used by Silicon Valley companies, with Indian nationals making up roughly three-fourths of all H-1B approvals.