Washington DC [US], October 24 (ANI): The Trump administration is preparing to contest several lawsuits challenging its new H-1B visa policy, which imposes a $100,000 fee on new visa applicants. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that the H-1B system has been “spammed with fraud,” contributing to suppressed American wages, and argued that the fee is intended to prioritise American workers and strengthen the visa system.
“The administration will fight these lawsuits in court. The president’s main priority has always been to put American workers first and to strengthen our visa system. For far too long, the H-1B visa system has been spammed with fraud, and that’s driven down American wages. These actions are lawful, they are necessary, and we’ll continue to fight this battle in court,” Leavitt said during a White House briefing.
The lawsuits, filed by the US Chamber of Commerce, unions, employers, and religious groups, contend that the fee is unlawful and will harm US businesses. The Chamber of Commerce argued that the fee violates the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires visa fees to reflect government processing costs. Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President of the Chamber, said the fee could make the program cost-prohibitive, particularly for start-ups and small to midsize companies that rely on global talent.
A coalition of unions, educators, religious groups, and other organisations also filed a lawsuit, calling the fee “arbitrary and capricious.” The H-1B visa program allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers, with Indian IT professionals forming the largest group of recipients. The new $100,000 annual fee marks a substantial increase from current processing costs, which typically amount to a few thousand dollars.
Tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are expected to be affected. The administration has yet to decide whether the full fee will be collected upfront or annually. Critics warn that the fee could force companies to scale back or abandon participation in the H-1B program. (ANI)
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