20 states in US sue Trump admin over $100k H-1B visa fee

Twenty US states have sued the Trump administration for what they said was the "unlawful" introduction of a $100,000 visa fee for H-1B visa applications.

- Shashank Mattoo

The lawsuits -- filed by the Democratic Party's Attorneys-General in these states -- argue that President Trump does not have the legal authority to rewrite immigration law without constitutional approval. These lawsuits join an earlier set of legal challenges to the new $100,000 H-1B fees filed by the US Chamber of Commerce and by a coalition of nonprofit groups and religious organisations. In their statements, the states filing the lawsuit argue that H-1B visas are necessary for the states to hire skilled workers like physicians, nurses, researchers and university faculty.

"Oregon's colleges, universities and research institutions rely on skilled international workers to keep labs running, courses on track and innovation moving forward. This enormous fee would make it nearly impossible for these institutions to hire the experts they need, and it goes far beyond what Congress ever intended. This threatens Oregon's ability to compete, educate, and grow," reads a statement from Attorney-General Dan Rayfield.