White House Defends New Visa Policy
Washington DC: The Trump administration is preparing to defend its new H-1B visa policy in court, amid a slew of lawsuits challenging the $100,000 fee imposed on new visa applicants.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed on Thursday (local time) that the H-1B system is being abused and undercutting Americans’ wages. He argued that the policy was intended to prioritize American workers and prevent fraud in the H-1B system.
“The administration will fight these cases in court. The president’s main priority has always been to prioritize American workers and strengthen our visa system. For too long, the H-1B visa system has been riddled with fraud, resulting in depressed wages in America. So the president wants to improve that system, which is one of the reasons he is implementing these new policies. These actions are legal, they are necessary, and we will continue to fight this fight in court,” Leavitt said. Members of the press at the White House press conference.
Leavitt’s comments come as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce files a legal challenge to the administration’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions. Meanwhile, unions, employers and religious groups have filed suit in federal courts in California and Washington, D.C., arguing the fee is illegal and harms U.S. industries.
The Chamber’s lawsuit argues that the new fee is illegal because it overrides provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act governing the H-1B program, including the requirement that fees be based on expenses incurred by the government in processing visas, according to the CoC’s official statement.
“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially startups and small and medium-sized businesses, to take advantage of the H-1B program, which Congress expressly created to ensure that American businesses of all sizes have access to the global talent they need to grow their operations in the United States,” said Neil Bradley, U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer.
“President Trump has launched an ambitious agenda to secure permanent pro-growth tax reforms, unlock American energy, and resolve excessive regulations that hinder growth. The Chamber and our members have actively supported these proposals to attract more investment to America. To support this growth, our economy will need more workers, not fewer,” the statement said.
Specifically, a coalition of unions, educators, religious groups and other organizations filed the first major lawsuit against the imposed visa fees, calling them “arbitrary and capricious.” The H1B visa allows companies to hire skilled foreign workers.
The increased wages are expected to impact the IT sector, especially Indian IT professionals, who constitute the largest group of H-1 B visa recipients.
The new annual fee of $100,000 represents a significant increase in current H-1B processing costs, which typically run to several thousand dollars. Companies will pay this fee in addition to existing review costs; The administration is still deciding whether to collect the full amount in cash or on an annual basis.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce warned that the fee would force businesses to abandon or abandon the H-1B program. Technology giants such as Amazon, Microsoft and Google are expected to be affected.
