'H-1B visa system spammed with fraud': White House backs Trump's fee hike

Business Standard India ^ | 10/24/2025 | Surbhi Gloria Singh

[marcusmaximus]

The White House has thrown its weight behind Donald Trump’s controversial decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000, saying the move is intended to protect American workers and curb “fraud” in the system.

In a media briefing on Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration stood firmly by the president’s policy. “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,” said Leavitt.

“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,” she added.

Lawsuits challenge fee as unlawful and harmful to US industries

The press secretary’s comments come after the US Chamber of Commerce filed a legal challenge to the Trump administration’s decision to raise the H-1B visa fee to $100,000. Along with the Chamber, several unions, employers, and religious groups have also filed lawsuits in federal courts in California and Washington DC, arguing that the fee hike is unlawful and harms US industries.

In its official statement, the Chamber said the new fee overrides provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which govern the H-1B programme and require that fees be based on the government’s processing costs.

[Liz]

The h-1b visa is controversial.......... not the new fee.

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You got that right.