Judge blocks Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee
President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on September 19, 2025.
Andrew Harnik | Getty Images
A federal judge on Monday struck down President Donald Trump’s policy requiring employers to charge $100,000 for H-1B visa applications.
Judge Leo Sorokin said the visa payment policy violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. announced in the decision in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts.
The H-1B policy was created in 1990 and is used extensively by US tech giants to bring in highly skilled workers from abroad. The program allows U.S. employers to obtain government permission to hire nonimmigrant workers in specialized occupations for up to six years.
Trump implements $100,000 fee presidential proclamation Last September, he sought to restrict the program, arguing that its abuse harmed American economic and national security through the “massive replacement of American workers.”
Before the change, H-1B visa fees ranged from $2,000 to $5,000 per application, CNBC previously reported.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Sorokin’s decision.
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