Federal Court Blocks $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee and Extension

A federal judge in the Northern District of California has blocked the $100,000 H-1B visa fee and a September 2026 proclamation that extended it for another year. This marks the second federal court this year to reject the fee, ruling that the agency policies establishing it were arbitrary and capricious. The decision prevents the government from enforcing the fee, which was initially introduced in September 2025 for new H-1B workers entering the U.S. from abroad.