US Court Cancels $100,000 H-1B Visa Application Fee
美國法院取消 10 萬美元 H-1B 簽證申請費
Introduction
A federal court in Massachusetts has cancelled a Trump administration policy that raised H-1B visa application fees to $100,000, ruling that the fee was an illegal tax.
麻薩諸塞州的一座聯邦法院取消了川普政府將 H-1B 簽證申請費提高至 10 萬美元的政策，裁定該費用為非法稅收。
Main Body
Judge Leo Sorokin decided that the executive branch went beyond its legal power by introducing this payment without approval from Congress. He emphasized that the fee acted as a tax rather than a standard regulatory charge, which means the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act. However, this creates a legal conflict because a different court in Washington D.C. had previously supported the fee. Consequently, the Supreme Court may need to intervene to resolve this disagreement.
法官 Leo Sorokin 判定執行部門在未經國會批准的情況下引入此項付款，已超出其法定權限。他強調該費用實際上是稅收而非標準的監管費用，這意味著行政部門違反了《行政程序法》。然而，這造成了法律衝突，因為華盛頓特區的另一座法院此前支持該費用。因此，最高法院可能需要介入以解決此分歧。
Different groups have expressed strong opinions on the matter. The Department of Homeland Security argued that the fee was necessary to protect American workers and maintain the program's integrity. On the other hand, a group of twenty state attorneys general and several members of Congress supported the court's decision. These officials asserted that the high cost would seriously harm rural hospitals and universities, which depend on international experts to fill critical staff shortages.
不同團體對此事表達了強烈觀點。國土安全部認為該費用對於保護美國勞工並維持計畫的完整性是必要的。另一方面，二十個州的總檢察長和幾位國會議員支持法院的決定。這些官員堅稱高昂的成本將嚴重損害鄉村醫院和大學，因為這些機構依賴國際專家來填補關鍵的人力短缺。
This decision is especially important for Indian professionals, who make up about 70% of H-1B visa holders. Returning to the standard fees of $2,000 to $5,000 will make it easier for US companies to hire high-skilled foreign talent. While large tech companies could afford the $100,000 fee, small and medium-sized businesses reported that the cost was a major barrier to hiring, which limited their ability to innovate and compete.
這項決定對印度專業人士尤為重要，他們約佔 H-1B 簽證持有者的 70%。恢復 2,000 至 5,000 美元的標準費用，將使美國公司更容易聘僱高技能的外國人才。雖然大型科技公司能夠負擔 10 萬美元的費用，但中小型企業表示成本是聘僱的主要障礙，限制了他們的創新與競爭能力。
Conclusion
The $100,000 fee is now suspended across the country, although the administration has indicated that it plans to appeal the decision in a higher court.
10 萬美元的費用目前在全國範圍內被暫停，儘管行政部門表示計劃向更高層法院提出上訴。
Vocabulary Learning
⚡ The "B2 Leap": Mastering Contrast & Concession
At an A2 level, you likely use 'but' for everything. To reach B2, you need to show the reader that you can weigh two different ideas against each other using more sophisticated connectors.
🔍 The Pattern in the Text
Look at how the author shifts between the government's view and the critics' view:
"The Department of Homeland Security argued... On the other hand, a group of twenty state attorneys general... supported the court's decision."
And look at the restriction on company size:
"While large tech companies could afford the $100,000 fee, small and medium-sized businesses reported that the cost was a major barrier..."
🛠️ How to use these tools
1. "On the other hand"
- When to use: When you have two completely different sides of an argument. It is like a scale—you put one idea on the left, and the opposite idea on the right.
- B2 Tip: Always put it at the start of a new sentence followed by a comma.
- Example: I love living in a big city. On the other hand, the traffic is terrible.
2. "While..."
- When to use: To show a contrast within a single sentence. It is more elegant than 'but' because it connects two clauses smoothly.
- B2 Tip: Start the sentence with "While [Idea A], [Idea B]."
- Example: While the hotel was expensive, the service was actually quite poor.
📈 Your Evolution
| A2 Style (Simple) | B2 Style (Advanced) |
|---|---|
| The fee was high but the court stopped it. | While the fee was high, the court ultimately stopped it. |
| Big companies are rich. Small companies are not. | Big companies can afford high fees. On the other hand, small businesses struggle. |