Federal Appeals Court Blocks President Trump's $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee Proposal
A federal appeals court has rejected President Trump's administration's attempt to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The Boston-based first US circuit court of appeals upheld a lower court's decision from June, which was challenged by 20 Democratic state attorneys general. The court ruled that the fee constituted an unlawful tax that Congress had not authorized. The three-judge panel, consisting of appointees from Democratic presidents, determined that the Trump administration did not demonstrate a likelihood of success in its appeal. The H-1B visa program, which is crucial for tech companies to hire foreign workers, offers 65,000 visas annually, with an additional 20,000 for workers with advanced degrees. The fee does not apply to foreign citizens already in the US on student visas, who represent a significant portion of new H-1B recipients. 
