Overview
- The U.S. District Court in Massachusetts vacated the $100,000 charge on June 8, finding the payment functioned like a tax and that agencies violated the Administrative Procedure Act.
- The Justice Department filed a notice of appeal days later and may seek a stay that could temporarily reinstate the fee while the case moves to the First Circuit.
- The ruling gives immediate relief to employers filing H‑1B petitions for workers abroad, and some companies that had paused participation may now reassess registrations and filings.
- Separate Trump administration changes remain in place or under review, including a wage‑weighted H‑1B lottery run this spring and Department of Labor proposals to raise H‑1B wage floors.
- The dispute highlights a legal limit on unilateral executive action over immigration fees, and it could reshape how tech firms, universities and hospitals recruit foreign talent if the appeal or new rules change the costs of hiring.