US Chamber of Commerce Files Lawsuit Against Trump's H-1B Visa Fee Hike

Last Updated:October 17, 2025, 04:04 IST

The US Chamber of Commerce sued President Trump over a new 100000 fee on H-1B visas, claiming it exceeds his authority and threatens businesses relying on skilled foreign workers.

US President Donald Trump. (Image: X/@WhiteHouse)

The US Chamber of Commerce on Thursday filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers.

The lawsuit by Chamber of Commerce, representing 300,000 businesses, is the group’s first against the President in his current term.

Reuters quoted the group as saying that Trump’s September proclamation, opens new tab imposing the fee on new H-1B visa applications was beyond his powers and would disrupt the complex visa system created by Congress.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month that sent shockwaves through global tech hubs: a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions, effective October 6. The move, targeting the programme that brings skilled workers—70% of them Indian—to US shores, aims to prioritise American jobs and curb what Trump calls “cheap labour abuse".

As the order came into effect on September 21, it sparked panic and outcry, with immigration attorneys and companies asking the H-1B visa holders or their family members, currently outside America for work or vacation, to return within the next 24 hours or risk being stranded and denied entry into the US.

Later, a White House official clarified that the H1-B visa fee of USD 100,000 would be applicable only to new applicants.

Reuters quoted the Chamber of Commerce as stating that the fee would force businesses that rely on the H-1B programme to choose between dramatically increasing their labor costs or hiring fewer highly-skilled workers.

“Many members of the US Chamber are bracing for the need to scale back or entirely walk away from the H-1B program, to the detriment of their investors, customers, and their own existing employees," the group said in the lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., federal court on Thursday.

According to Reuters, employers who sponsor H-1B workers currently typically pay between $2,000 and $5,000 in fees, depending on the size of the company and other factors.

The rise in H-1B fee is also being challenged by unions, employers, and religious groups in a California federal court.

News world US Chamber of Commerce Files Lawsuit Against Trump's H-1B Visa Fee Hike

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