A second federal judge has blocked the Trump administration's $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas.
U.S. District Judge Haywood Gilliam in Oakland ruled that USCIS and the State Department skipped required rulemaking before imposing the fee, halting collection while a lawsuit by unions, employers, and nonprofits proceeds. A Boston judge issued a similar block in June in a 20-state case, and the Chamber of Commerce has filed a third challenge.
Caution: these are preliminary injunctions, not final rulings — the fee could return on appeal. DHS is separately pursuing a permanent fee of about $103,000 through formal rulemaking. If an H-1B filing is in your plans, budget as if the fee could come back and consult an immigration attorney before acting on court news.
