According to a report by CCTV news, twenty US states, including California, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Dec. 12 (local time), seeking to block its plan to drastically increase the H-1B visa fee to US$100,000.
The coalition of states, which includes California, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and New Jersey, filed the lawsuit in a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated in a declaration that, by law, visa fees are intended solely to cover related processing costs, and the proposed US$100,000 H-1B fee far exceeds that.
Furthermore, Bonta argued that President Trump lacks the authority to levy such a fee, as that power rests with Congress. He also warned that the sharp increase would adversely impact multiple US industries, imposing unnecessary economic burdens and exacerbating labor shortages.
The H-1B visa is a US temporary work permit that allows American companies to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations to fill positions for which qualified domestic workers are not readily available. It is primarily used by US tech companies to attract highly educated foreign talent. Previously, companies typically paid fees amounting to several thousand dollars for an H-1B visa.
In September of this year, Trump announced the plan to raise the fee companies pay for H-1B applicants to US$100,000, stating the move aims to ensure the US attracts highly skilled talent who cannot be replaced by American workers.
US media analysis suggests the new, significantly higher fee would impact tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. These companies have long relied on the H-1B visa program to hire foreign employees, such as software development engineers.
The US Chamber of Commerce, along with several other organizations, including the United Auto Workers union and the American Association of University Professors, had already filed a lawsuit in October challenging the Trump administration's H-1B fee increase.
Related News:
Watch This | Trump says US seizes oil tanker off coast of Venezuela
US to require social media history for visa-waiver travelers
Comment