A broad coalition of professionals, including healthcare workers, educators, and religious leaders, has filed a lawsuit in federal court to challenge the Trump administration’s newly introduced $100,000 H-1B visa fee.
Filed on Friday in San Francisco, the lawsuit argues that the steep fee is unlawful and threatens to cripple critical sectors of the U.S. economy by restricting access to global talent.
“Without relief, hospitals will lose medical staff, churches will lose pastors, classrooms will lose teachers, and industries across the country risk losing key innovators,” the group said in a statement.
The coalition is urging the court to immediately block the policy, warning that the fee undermines the long-standing H-1B visa system relied on by employers across fields, from tech to healthcare.
The new visa fee, announced by President Donald Trump’s administration just last month, was implemented with only 36 hours’ notice, sparking widespread confusion among companies and immigration attorneys.
Many businesses were unsure how the rule would be applied or whether they would be affected.
The H-1B visa, which allows U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers, is particularly critical to Silicon Valley, which has long depended on international talent to drive innovation.
Despite Trump’s hardline immigration stance since returning to the White House, the H-1B program had largely remained untouched—until now.
The fee is part of President Trump’s renewed and intensified crackdown on immigration.
The administration argues that the H-1B system has been misused, claiming it allows companies to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor.
The United States issues about 85,000 H-1B visas annually through a lottery system, with India accounting for roughly 75% of all recipients.
The policy has drawn criticism from tech leaders and entrepreneurs, including former Trump ally Elon Musk, who have long warned that curbing skilled immigration would damage the U.S. economy.
They argue that there simply isn’t enough domestic talent to meet the needs of the tech industry and that high-skilled visa holders play a vital role in maintaining the country’s global leadership in innovation.
As the lawsuit unfolds, employers and workers remain in limbo.
The coalition’s legal action seeks to restore predictability and fairness to the visa system and prevent disruptions that could affect vital sectors of the U.S economy.
“The suit asks the court to immediately block the order and restore predictability for employers and workers,” the coalition emphasized.
