A federal court has struck down a Trump administration policy that would have imposed a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications, handing a victory to New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 19 other state attorneys general.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled in favor of the states and granted summary judgment in the case, declaring the fee unlawful. The coalition sued the administration after it announced plans in September 2025 to dramatically increase the cost of applying for an H-1B visa, a program used by employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers in fields such as health care, education and technology.
James argued the fee would have severely restricted access to the H-1B program and worsened labor shortages in critical industries. The attorney general’s office noted that SUNY employs nearly 700 workers on H-1B visas and that more than 13,000 H-1B visa holders work across New York in sectors including health care, technology, finance and the arts.
According to the lawsuit, H-1B application fees have historically been several thousand dollars. The administration’s proposed $100,000 fee represented a massive increase that states argued would make it prohibitively expensive for employers to recruit needed workers.
James said the ruling protects a program that helps fill essential positions across New York and the nation. She argued that doctors, teachers and other skilled workers who enter the country through the H-1B program play an important role in supporting communities and addressing workforce shortages.
The lawsuit was joined by attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.
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