California and Massachusetts to sue Trump administration over $100,000 in H-1B visa fees

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California and Massachusetts will lead a multi-state lawsuit over the $100,000 H-1B filing fee.
The lawsuit alleges the policy is illegal and procedurally improper under federal law.

California and Massachusetts are preparing to sue the Trump administration over the new $100,000 H-1B visa application fee, saying the measure imposes an unlawful burden on employers and was enacted without the required rulemaking process.

The lawsuit, scheduled to be filed Friday, will be the first legal challenge to the fees by a state in the United States. This follows a lawsuit filed in October by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a coalition of labor unions and staffing companies, which is still pending.

The H-1B visa program allows U.S.-based employers to hire foreign workers in specialized fields. In September, President Trump announced a sweeping overhaul of the system, arguing that it has been exploited at the expense of American workers.