The White House stood by President Donald Trump’s decision to hike the fee for H-1B visa applications to $100,000 on Thursday. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the policy that many people disagree with, saying that the government is dedicated to fixing a system that has been “fraudulent” for a long time.
“The government will defend these lawsuits in court. Leavitt stated at a press conference that the president’s first aim has always been to put American workers first and make our visa system stronger. “The H-1B visa system has been spammed with fraud for way too long, and that’s hurt American wages.”
Leavitt stressed that what the government is doing is legal and important. He said that the new rules are part of the president’s plan to “refine this system.”
More and more legal challenges are being made against the policy.
The White House’s rebuttal comes right after the US Chamber of Commerce (CoC) launched a big lawsuit against the executive order. The CoC, together with many unions, businesses, and religious groups, has filed lawsuits in federal courts in California and Washington D.C. They say that the $100,000 price increase is illegal and bad for American businesses.
The CoC’s lawsuit says that the additional price goes against parts of the Immigration and Nationality Act that say visa processing fees must be based on the real expenditures the government incurs.
Neil Bradley, the US Chamber’s Executive Vice President and Chief proposal Officer, was quite critical of the proposal. Bradley added, “The new $100,000 visa fee will make it too expensive for US employers to use the H-1B program, especially start-ups and small and medium-sized businesses.” He underlined that Congress designed the program so that American firms of all sizes may hire the global talent they need to succeed in the US.
Bradley said that the Chamber backs Trump’s pro-growth strategy, which includes tax cuts and less regulation. However, the economy needs more workers, not fewer, to keep this growth going.
The H-1B visa system lets US businesses hire talented workers from other countries. In September, Trump said that he would double the cost that corporations must pay in addition to the vetting fees they already pay when sponsoring an H-1B visa. This was part of his larger plan to limit immigration and create more jobs for Americans.