US Chamber of Commerce says new fee will harm businesses
The US Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its new H-1B visa fee of $100,000 (£74,000) for skilled foreign workers.
The Chamber’s Chief Policy Officer, Neil Bradley, said the steep H-1B visa fee “will make it cost-prohibitive” for US employers to use the programme, which is relied on heavily by the tech sector.
President Trump signed an executive order last month introducing the charge, arguing that the visa system had been abused and undercut the American workforce. The White House described the policy as a “lawful and necessary step” toward reform.
Fee applies to new skilled-worker visas
The H-1B visa fee applies only to new visa requests, requiring companies to pay before entry is granted. The move has sparked criticism from technology executives, including Elon Musk, who say the programme helps attract top global talent.
Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Google-parent Alphabet’s Sundar Pichai- both former H-1B visa holders- are among those highlighting its role in US innovation.
Mr Trump also announced a new “gold card” system to fast-track certain immigrants’ visas in exchange for payments starting at £1m.
Business backlash and legal challenge
In its lawsuit, the Chamber of Commerce said the fee would “inflict significant harm on American businesses,” forcing higher labour costs or cuts to highly skilled positions. The group represents more than three million companies nationwide.
Despite the lawsuit, the Chamber also praised aspects of the administration’s economic agenda, citing efforts to reform taxes and deregulate the energy sector.
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the policy, saying major corporations supported it.
“The company needs to decide — is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or should they hire an American?” Lutnick said.
Many H-1B visa holders come from India and China. Tech firms argue that these skilled employees are difficult to replace domestically, while the White House maintains the new rule prevents companies from “driving down American wages.”
Source: BBC
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