20 states sue Trump administration over $100,000 H-1B visa fee

Prosecutors from 20 US states have filed a joint lawsuit against the administration of President Donald Trump, challenging the introduction of a $100,000 entry fee for highly skilled foreign workers entering the country on H-1B visas.

The New York Times reports that the suit is led by the attorneys general of Massachusetts and California, with 18 additional states joining the case.

According to the plaintiffs, the new fee creates a significant and unlawful barrier for employers and harms universities and research institutions that rely heavily on the H-1B program to recruit talent.

They argue that the fee amount was set arbitrarily and that the administration failed to follow legally required rule-making procedures. The complaint also warns that the measure could drive talent away and weaken the United States’ competitiveness in technology and scientific fields.

This is at least the third lawsuit targeting the Trump administration’s immigration actions, but the first filed on behalf of the states themselves. On September 20, 2025, Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating a broad overhaul of the H-1B program, which included the creation of the $100,000 fee. The H-1B visa allows US companies to hire foreign specialists in IT, engineering, medicine, mathematics and other high-skill fields.