WASHINGTON – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a Trump management order imposing a $100,000 fee on companies seeking to renew H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers. The legal action escalates a dispute over the popular visa program, which tech companies rely on to fill specialized roles.
The Chamber argues the significant fee-which could dramatically increase labour costs-would force businesses to either substantially curtail their use of H-1B visas or reduce their highly skilled workforce. The lawsuit claims the fee would “inflict important harm on American businesses.” The administration maintains the measure is designed to discourage companies from suppressing American wages.
The order, applying only to new visa requests, also introduces a “gold card” offering expedited visa processing for immigrants willing to pay fees starting at £1 million (approximately $1.27 million USD).
The dispute highlights a long-standing debate over the H-1B program, which primarily attracts workers from India adn China. tech executives, including Elon Musk, Satya Nadella, and Sundar Pichai-all of whom began their U.S. careers on H-1B visas-have publicly defended the program as vital for attracting global talent.
U.S.Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick defended the administration’s order, stating, ”all of the big companies” supported the fee. He argued companies must assess weather a foreign worker is “valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home, and they should go hire an American.”
Tech companies contend that the specialized skills of H-1B visa holders are often not readily available within the U.S. workforce. However, white House spokesperson Taylor Rogers asserted the administration’s actions aim to prevent companies from “driving down American wages.” The Chamber of Commerce, representing over 3 million businesses, simultaneously praised President Trump’s broader agenda of tax reforms, energy policies, and deregulation.
