Federal judge strikes down Trump’s USD 100,000 H-1B visa fee

Business To Business, New York, 9^th June, 2026:  A federal judge in the United States has ruled that a proposed USD 100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa applications was unlawful because it lacked authorization from Congress.
The decision was issued by Leo Sorokin, a judge of the U.S. District Court in Boston, Massachusetts.
In his ruling, Judge Sorokin stated that the policy effectively imposed a tax on H-1B petitions without the necessary delegation of authority from Congress.
The judgment concluded that the executive branch could not unilaterally impose such a substantial charge in the absence of explicit legislative approval.
The proposal had been associated with policies advanced under Donald Trump and would have required employers to pay USD 100,000 per H-1B worker annually.
The proposal generated significant concern among:

• Technology companies.
• Multinational corporations.
• Universities and research institutions.
• Foreign professionals seeking employment in the United States.

• Information technology.
• Engineering.
• Healthcare.
• Finance.
• Scientific research.

• The proposed USD 100,000 fee cannot be enforced in its current form.
• Any similar fee would likely require congressional authorization.
• Employers and H-1B applicants avoid a potentially massive increase in visa-related costs.