The Boston District Court overturned the US administration’s decision to impose a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas. The initiative was intended to prevent foreigners from taking jobs, freeing them up for Americans.
The lawsuit was filed by 20 states in which Democrats are in power. It argued that the new policy would deprive them of their authority to recruit school and university teachers and would also have a negative impact on the level of scientific research and medical care.
Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the executive branch had exceeded its powers. He qualified the increase in the work visa fee as a change in tax policy, which is not the responsibility of the administration, but the US Congress.
Before the reform, the fee for an H-1B visa was several thousand dollars. It was used mainly by American technology giants interested in attracting highly skilled workers from other countries.