‘Creates Illegal Financial Burdens’: 20 US States Sue Trump Government Over H-1B Visa | World News

20 US states, primarily California, filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. The states argue that the policy is unlawful and would harm essential public services such as health and education.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the administration does not have the authority to impose this fee, which will increase the labor shortage in key sectors.

“As the world’s fourth-largest economy, California knows that bringing skilled talent from around the world into our workforce moves our state forward,” Bonta said, as reported by IANS.

“President Trump’s illegal $100,000 H-1B visa fee creates unnecessary and unlawful financial burdens on California’s public employers and other vital service providers and exacerbates labor shortages in key industries,” he added.

Twenty US states have filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, arguing that it violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the US Constitution. States argue that the fee exceeds congressional authority and bypasses required rules because fees for the H-1B program have historically been limited to administrative costs.

Currently, employers pay $960 to $7,595 in total fees for initial H-1B petitions, IANS reports. The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to employ foreign workers in areas of expertise, with a limit of 65,000 visas for private sector workers and 20,000 visas for advanced degree holders. Employers must certify that hiring H-1B workers will not harm the wages or conditions of U.S. workers.