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(File Photo: US Visa Issuance)
The Donald Trump administration's attempt to raise the application fee for H-1B professional work visas to USD 100,000 (approx. 146 million won) has faced another legal roadblock.
Reuters reported that the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston denied the Trump administration's request to stay a lower court ruling that barred the implementation of the visa fee hike.
The appeals panel, consisting of three federal judges appointed by Democratic presidents, concluded that the Trump administration failed to sufficiently demonstrate during the proceedings that it has the authority to raise the fees.
Last September, President Trump announced that he would hike the H-1B visa fee 100-fold, raising it from the previous USD 1,000 (approx. 1.46 million won) to USD 100,000.
The move stemmed from the administration's view that companies use H-1B visas to hire low-wage foreign workers, thereby displacing American jobs.
The H-1B visa is issued to foreign professionals, with only 85,000 new visas issued annually through a lottery system.
Typically, U.S. companies have paid the H-1B visa fees on behalf of applicants, and hired employees have worked in the U.S. for three to six years on these visas before applying for permanent residency.
After the Trump administration decided to increase the fees for new applicants, attorneys general from 20 states, including California and other Democrat-led states, filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the decision.
Last month, a lower court ruled the visa fee increase unlawful, stating it constituted an unauthorized tax enacted without congressional approval, and the appellate court applied another brake today.
According to documents submitted to the court during the lawsuit, H-1B visa applications reportedly plummeted significantly following the fee hike.
Reuters reported that the White House did not respond to requests for comment on the ruling.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
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