A US federal appeals court has refused to revive the Trump administration’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee for highly skilled foreign workers. The First Circuit Court of Appeals denied the government’s request to pause a lower-court ruling that had already struck down the charge.
The dispute centers on a June 8 decision by US District Judge Leo T. Sorokin. In that ruling, Sorokin found that the fee amounted to an unauthorized tax rather than a lawful administrative charge, undercutting the administration’s effort to keep the policy in place.
By denying the motion for a stay, the appeals court left the district court order intact while the broader legal fight continues. That means the Trump-era attempt to impose the unusually high H-1B visa fee remains blocked for now.
The case is significant because the H-1B program is widely used by US employers seeking highly skilled foreign workers. The latest court action adds to the legal scrutiny surrounding immigration-related fees and the limits on how far an administration can go without clear authorization from Congress.
