In a major development for the immigrant community and U.S. employers, a federal judge has struck down the controversial $100,000 fee imposed on new H-1B visas, ruling that the measure was unlawful and must be invalidated nationwide.
The decision means the policy does not just stop in one state. Its impact applies across the United States, bringing immediate relief to thousands of workers, employers, and families who were worried about the financial burden attached to H-1B applications.
The ruling was delivered by U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston. Sorokin was nominated to the federal bench by former President Barack Obama and confirmed in 2014.
BIG NEWS:
$100,000 #H1B fee is struck down by a judge and it’s a NATIONWIDE RELIEF.
Not just one state!
Another Trump-era policy blocked by the court.
Via @rnlawgroup pic.twitter.com/azeLCYMTgN
— M9 USA (@M9USA_) June 8, 2026
Trump had announced the fee as part of a broader immigration push aimed at making access to new H-1B visas significantly more expensive. Before the policy, employers generally paid visa-related costs that ranged in the low thousands depending on filing category and processing options. The sudden jump to $100,000 triggered legal and industry backlash.
A coalition of 20 Democratic state attorneys general challenged the measure in court, arguing that the administration had crossed legal limits and created an excessive barrier for hiring skilled foreign talent.
Judge Sorokin agreed with that argument. In his ruling, he concluded that the payment functioned more like a tax than a regulatory fee and said Congress had never authorized the president to impose such a charge.
For H-1B holders and companies, the ruling removes uncertainty in several situations that had become major concerns:
No $100,000 #H1B fee for:
• Consular processing
• Company-to-company transfer
• Candidates falling out of statusNO MORE $100,000 for #H1BVisa
via @rnlawgroup pic.twitter.com/8OcyfPueuk
— M9 USA (@M9USA_) June 8, 2026
• New H-1B applications through consular processing
• Company-to-company H-1B transfers
• Cases involving candidates who had fallen out of status and needed fresh processing
The court decision is being viewed as one of the biggest legal setbacks so far to this immigration measure. While further appeals remain possible, the immediate effect is clear: the proposed $100,000 H-1B fee cannot move forward under the current ruling.
