Trump administration is appealing ruling the blocked $100,000 H-1B visa fee

The Trump administration is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that blocked a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications. The Justice Department filed a notice Thursday to challenge the Monday decision by U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin, who sided with states suing over the policy and found the fee increase to be an illegal tax. The case is one of at least three lawsuits challenging the president’s effort to restrict immigration and boost demand for U.S. workers.

Getting your Trinity Audio //trinityaudio.ai player ready... By Madlin Mekelburg, Bloomberg The Trump administration will appeal a federal judge’s order striking down a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/08/federal-judge-voids-trumps-100000-fee-requirement-for-h-1b-visas/ . The Justice Department filed a notice on Thursday that it will appeal the Monday ruling, which was a major blow to the president’s campaign to restrict immigration and boost demand for US workers. US District Judge Leo T. Sorokin in Boston sided with a group of states that sued over the policy, finding that the president’s decree dramatically increasing the cost of the popular visa is an illegal tax. The H-1B visa program is a cornerstone of employment-based immigration, allowing companies in the US to hire college-educated foreign workers for specialized occupations. In September, Trump signed a proclamation to increase the application fee to discourage companies from abusing a program that he claimed displaces US workers. The case is one of at least three lawsuits challenging the president’s initiative. The US Chamber of Commerce and a nurse recruiting firm are pursuing two separate cases against the administration’s policy. In December, a judge rejected the Chamber’s request to block the fee and the Chamber appealed the decision to a federal appeals court in Washington. The case is State of California v. Mullin, 25-cv-13829, US District Court, District of Massachusetts. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com https://www.bloomberg.com ©2026 Bloomberg L.P.