The US Chamber of Commerce is reportedly considering to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration after announcing a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visa. The move has sparked concerns among Indian and other foreign nationals working in the US economy that relies heavily on H-1B visa. According to a Bloomberg report, officials with the country’s largest business lobby polled member companies to test support for a lawsuit. The report cites people familiar with the conversations who, on the condition of anonymity, said that the group sought feedback from corporations on potential litigation during a series of phone calls and Zoom meetings.If filed, the case would mark only the second time the US Chamber of Commerce clashes with Donald Trump. The Chamber, the nation’s largest business group and one of Washington’s most influential lobbying organizations, has members like Amazon, Alphabet, Google, among others. It has so far avoided direct conflict with Trump in his second term. It even stayed out of recent legal battles over his tariffs.The group last went to court against Trump in 2020, when his administration suspended new nonimmigrant visas. Calling the policy “bad for business,” the Chamber sued and won, with a federal court striking down the rules.
What US Chamber of Commerce spokesperson said
Chamber spokesperson Matt Letourneau said in a statement that the group is “examining the legal basis for the proclamation.”“We continue to be inundated with member concerns and are communicating those concerns and questions directly to the administration,” Letourneau said. “There was tremendous concern about the prospect that the proclamation could be applied to current visa holders. We are appreciative of the administration’s ongoing clarifications about the scope of this action.”
Trump administration increases H-1B visa application fee to $100,000
Last week, Donald Trump signed an order introducing a $100,000 annual fee for H-1B visa applications. Explaining the move, Trump said “The H-1B nonimmigrant visa program was created to bring temporary workers into the United States to perform additive, high-skilled functions, but it has been deliberately exploited to replace, rather than supplement, American workers with lower-paid, lower-skilled labour”.Anticipating the tech industry’s response to the changes, Trump said “I think they’re going to be very happy”.
