Democratic states sue Trump administration over new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas

Source: CNN Politics

PUBLISHED Dec 12, 2025, 3:25 PM ET


A coalition of blue states is suing the Trump administration over its fee of $100,000 for H-1B Visas, several Democratic attorneys general announced on Friday.

The Trump administration announced in September that it would be implementing the fee for H-1B visas, citing that the program for the visas is overused. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, joined by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and New York Attorney General Letitia James and others, is leading the suit.

H-1B visas allow foreign professionals to seek work in professions that are considered to be more specialized. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or a similar equivalent to be eligible for the visa. The liberal attorneys general allege that new policy and fee, which is implemented by the Department of Homeland Security, is out of bounds of what is authorized by Congress for the program.

“Congress has refined this program, setting caps, establishing fees, enhancing enforcement and strengthening protections, but what Congress has never done is authorize a president to impose a six-figure surcharge designed to dismantle the program entirely,” Bonta said at a press conference on Friday.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/12/politics/h-1b-visa-fee-lawsuit