Story timeline
U.S. $100,000 H-1B fee litigation
The U.S. administration has sought to sharply raise the cost of new H-1B skilled-worker visas, triggering litigation over executive authority and rulemaking procedure.
Current state
The Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B worker visas is blocked by a second federal judge, adding a separate procedural ruling to an earlier nationwide block while the administration pursues a permanent fee through rulemaking.
Material developments
No repetition without changeOct 1, 2026 · Story established
A second judge blocks the $100,000 H-1B fee
What changedA California federal judge separately blocked the administration's $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas, ruling that the agencies did not follow required rulemaking procedures.
State establishedThe Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B worker visas is blocked by a second federal judge, adding a separate procedural ruling to an earlier nationwide block while the administration pursues a permanent fee through rulemaking.
Why it mattered. For employers, the immediate effect is continued legal uncertainty rather than a settled new labor-cost regime. Institutionally, the case distinguishes a proclamation from a policy implemented through notice-and-comment rulemaking, so the fee could return in a procedurally different form.