A United States District Judge has vacated a presidential directive that established a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa petitions, ruling the measure an unauthorized tax.

一名美國地區法官撤銷了一項總統指令，該指令原先規定 H-1B 簽證申請需繳納 10 萬美元費用，法官裁定該措施屬於未經授權的稅收。

The judicial determination, rendered by Judge Leo Sorokin of the Massachusetts District Court, follows a legal challenge initiated by a coalition of 20 states. The court concluded that the $100,000 requirement, introduced via proclamation in September 2025, functioned as a tax rather than a regulatory fee. Consequently, the ruling asserts that the executive branch exceeded its constitutional authority, as the power to levy taxes is vested exclusively in Congress. Judge Sorokin further noted that the administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act by bypassing the requisite notice-and-comment rulemaking process.

這項司法裁定由麻薩諸塞州地區法院的 Leo Sorokin 法官做出，是在 20 個州組成的聯盟發起法律挑戰後得出的結果。法院結論認為，2025 年 9 月透過公告引入的 10 萬美元要求，實際上是一種稅收而非監管費用。因此，裁決指出行政部門超越了憲法賦予的權限，因為徵稅權專屬於國會。Sorokin 法官進一步指出，行政部門繞過了必要的「通知與評論」制定規則程序，違反了《行政程序法》。

Historically, the H-1B program—established in 1990—permits the temporary employment of foreign professionals in specialty occupations, with an annual cap of 65,000 visas and an additional 20,000 for advanced degree holders. Prior to the contested proclamation, filing fees typically ranged from approximately $2,000 to $5,000. The administration's positioning maintained that the fee was a necessary monetary penalty to mitigate the alleged displacement of domestic workers by lower-cost foreign labor, which the executive characterized as a threat to national security and economic integrity.

從歷史上看，成立於 1990 年的 H-1B 計畫允許外國專業人士在專門職業中臨時就業，每年上限為 65,000 個名額，而高級學位持有者額外有 20,000 個名額。在該項具爭議的公告出台前，申請費通常在 2,000 到 5,000 美元之間。行政部門當時的立場是，這筆費用是必要的金錢處罰，旨在減輕所謂低成本外籍勞工取代本土工人的現象，行政部門將此定義為對國家安全與經濟完整性的威脅。

Stakeholder impacts were significant, with the plaintiff states arguing that the fee would exacerbate labor shortages in healthcare, academia, and public education. Data indicated a marked decline in applications following the policy's implementation; by February 15, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services had recorded only 85 such payments. While the administration cited a prior ruling by Judge Beryl Howell in Washington, D.C., as precedent for the fee's legality, Judge Sorokin distinguished his decision by referencing a February Supreme Court ruling regarding the limits of executive authority in imposing tariffs during national emergencies.

利益相關者的影響顯著，原告各州主張該費用將加劇醫療保健、學術界與公共教育的勞動力短缺。數據顯示，在政策實施後申請量明顯下降；截至 2 月 15 日，美國公民及移民服務局僅記錄到 85 次相關付款。雖然行政部門引用華盛頓特區 Beryl Howell 法官之前的裁決作為合法依據，但 Sorokin 法官引用 2 月最高法院關於國家緊急狀態下行政權限在徵收關稅方面的限制裁決，將其決定與前者區分開來。

The $100,000 fee has been vacated in its entirety, although the administration has expressed its intention to seek a reversal on appeal.

10 萬美元的費用已獲全面撤銷，不過行政部門表示將考慮透過上訴尋求反轉結果。