District court vacates $100,000 H-1B visa filing fee

The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated the $100,000 fee for new H-1B visas established by a proclamation in September 2025. Judge Leo T. Sorkin declared the fees unlawful and said in his decision that it “exceeds the fee-setting authority delegated by Congress.” The American Hospital Association last year asked the administration to make healthcare personnel exempt from the fees. Medical groups also praised the ruling, saying the fees were exacerbating the nation’s healthcare workforce shortages. A White House spokesperson says the government will appeal the decision. (AHA News article, 6/8/26)