Trump’s $100K H-1B visa move backfires: America’s biggest business lobby is taking him to court

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is suing the Trump administration over a new $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, escalating tensions between corporate America and a White House pushing hardline immigration policy.

Filed Thursday in Washington, D.C. federal court, the lawsuit claims the fee—announced by President Trump in September—violates federal immigration law and undermines Congress’s intent for the skilled-worker visa program.

“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilize the H-1B program,” said Neil Bradley, the Chamber’s executive vice president. He added that the fee threatens American firms’ ability to access global talent critical to their growth.

The Chamber, which represents major employers including Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet, had sought partners for the lawsuit but ultimately filed alone. It argues many of its members currently employ and intend to continue hiring H-1B visa holders and would be directly harmed by the fee.

Amazon leads all U.S. companies in H-1B hires, with over 10,000 visa holders between 2009 and mid-2025. Microsoft and Meta follow closely, employing more than 5,000 each, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data.

The White House defended the fee, calling it a “commonsense action” to curb visa system abuse. “President Trump promised to put American workers first,” said assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers. “This step discourages companies from spamming the system and driving down wages.”

The Chamber’s lawsuit marks a rare but significant confrontation with the administration. While it has previously threatened legal action over tariffs, it stopped short—until now. In its announcement, the Chamber balanced its criticism by praising Trump’s efforts to secure U.S. borders and reiterated shared goals on talent retention.

But the complaint is blunt: the new fee “contravenes the fees Congress has set” and undercuts the H-1B program’s purpose—to bring up to 85,000 skilled workers annually into the U.S. for national benefit.