‘System spammed with fraud’: White House’ latest justification on H-1B visa fee hike; calls move ‘lawful’

The Donald Trump-led administration is preparing to defend its new H-1B visa policy in court after multiple lawsuits were filed against the $100,000 fee imposed on new visa applicants.White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday (local time) said the administration would fight the legal challenges, arguing that the H-1B system has been misused for years and that the new policy aims to protect American workers.“The administration will fight these lawsuits in court. The president’s main priority has always been to put American workers first and to strengthen our visa system. For far too long, the H-1B visa system has been spammed with fraud, and that’s driven down American wages. So the president wants to refine this system, which is part of the reason he implemented these new policies. These actions are lawful, they are necessary, and we’ll continue to fight this battle in court,” Leavitt told reporters at the White House briefing.Her comments came after the US Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the administration’s decision, calling the $100,000 visa fee unlawful. Several other groups, including unions, employers, and religious organisations, have also filed lawsuits in federal courts in California and Washington, DC, arguing that the new fee violates immigration law and harms US industries.The Chamber’s petition says the new rule overrides provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires visa fees to reflect the actual cost of processing applications.“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for US employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilize the H-1B program, which Congress created expressly to ensure that American businesses of all sizes can access the global talent they need to grow their operations here in the US,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president and Chief Policy Officer at the US Chamber of Commerce.Bradley added that while President Trump’s overall economic policies have encouraged investment, the new visa fee could make it harder for businesses to find the workers they need.“President Trump has embarked on an ambitious agenda of securing permanent pro-growth tax reforms, unleashing American energy, and unravelling the overregulation that has stifled growth. The Chamber and our members have actively backed these proposals to attract more investment in America. To support this growth, our economy will require more workers, not fewer,” he said.A coalition of unions, educators, and religious groups has also filed another major lawsuit against the visa fee, calling it “arbitrary and capricious.”The H-1B visa program allows US companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers. The increased fee is expected to heavily impact the technology sector, particularly Indian IT professionals, who make up the largest group of H-1B recipients.The new $100,000 annual fee is a steep jump from the current H-1B processing costs, which are typically a few thousand dollars. Companies will pay this in addition to existing vetting charges, and the administration is still deciding whether to collect the full amount upfront or annually.The US Chamber of Commerce has warned that the high fee could force companies to reduce or abandon their use of the H-1B program altogether. Tech giants such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google are among those likely to be affected.