A federal judge in Boston on Monday declared unlawful the $100,000 fee President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, ordering the fee invalidated.
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin issued the ruling in a lawsuit brought by 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenging the fee, which Trump announced through an executive order in September 2025. The order dramatically raised the cost of obtaining H-1B visas, which are used primarily by technology companies and other employers to hire specialized foreign talent.
The H-1B visa program has long been a flashpoint in U.S. immigration policy. Employers argue the visas are essential for filling critical roles in fields such as engineering, software development, and medicine. Critics, including the Trump administration, have contended the program is used to undercut American wages and displace domestic workers.
The $100,000 fee represented a more than tenfold increase over the standard H-1B filing and processing costs, which typically total several thousand dollars. The lawsuit argued that the fee was not authorized by the Immigration and Nationality Act and that the administration lacked the statutory authority to impose it.
Monday’s ruling is the latest in a series of federal court decisions blocking or limiting Trump administration policies on immigration and trade. The administration has faced a string of legal setbacks in recent months, including court orders blocking new tariffs and visa restrictions.