‘Express Statutory Authority’: US Court Sides With Trump On $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

Last Updated:January 01, 2026, 08:11 IST

The US Chamber of Commerce had appealed a court ruling upholding President Donald Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee.

US President Donald Trump speaks as he sits next to a "Trump Gold Card" sign, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US. (IMAGE: REUTERS)

US District Judge Beryl Howell, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, dismissed arguments put forward by the US Chamber of Commerce and ruled on December 23 that President Donald Trump had the legal authority to impose the $100,000 H-1B visa fee.

Judge Howell ruled that Trump acted under an express statutory grant of authority, according to a Bloomberg report. The legal battle over the H-1B visa fee has now moved to an appeals court after the Chamber of Commerce filed a notice of appeal this week, challenging the District Court’s decision. A federal judge had earlier refused to block the measure.

Howell, who serves on the US District Court for the District of Columbia, rejected the Chamber’s argument that the fee violates federal immigration law and exceeds the fee-setting authority granted to the executive branch by Congress.

In its October lawsuit, the Chamber had also argued that the presidential proclamation unlawfully overrides existing statutes governing visa costs.

News world ‘Express Statutory Authority’: US Court Sides With Trump On $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee

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