Punjab Newsline | Washington
U.S. federal court has dealt a major setback to President Donald Trump’s H-1B visa policy by striking down the proposed $100,000 (around ₹83 lakh) additional fee on new H-1B visa applications. The court ruled that the surcharge was not authorized under U.S. law and therefore cannot be enforced.
District Judge Leo Sorokin of the Boston federal court stated that the federal government lacked clear legal authority to impose such a fee, making the measure inconsistent with existing immigration laws. The court ordered that the proposed surcharge be invalidated.
The ruling is expected to provide significant relief to thousands of Indian engineers, software developers, and other skilled professionals who rely on the H-1B visa program to work in the United States. It is also seen as a positive development for American companies that depend on foreign talent to fill specialized roles.
The H-1B visa is one of the United States’ primary work visa programs, allowing employers to hire highly skilled foreign professionals in fields such as technology, engineering, healthcare, and research. Indian IT professionals account for a large share of H-1B visa holders.
Experts believe that if the proposed fee had been implemented, it would have sharply increased hiring costs for employers and discouraged the recruitment of highly skilled international workers.
The decision was delivered by Boston District Judge Leo Sorokin on Monday in a case brought by the attorneys general of 20 Democratic-led states. The lawsuit challenged the Trump administration’s announcement to impose the hefty fee on new H-1B visa applications from September, arguing that it exceeded the administration’s legal authority.
