Indian Diaspora Groups Welcome Court Ruling Striking Down $100,000 H

A US federal court ruled the USD 100,000 H-1B fee unlawful because it lacked congressional approval.

FIIDS said the ruling protects US competitiveness in innovation, research and entrepreneurship.

Indiaspora said the order brings relief, though further procedural hurdles may still emerge.

Indian diaspora organisations in the US have welcomed the federal court order of striking down the $100,000 fee on H-1B visa applications, calling it a fair move to the employment-based immigration system.

On Monday, a federal judge ruled that the $100,000 fee imposed by US President Donald Trump for H-1B applications was unlawful as it did not have the approval of Congress.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

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"We welcome the Massachusetts federal court's decision striking down the $100,000 H-1B visa fee, which restores predictability and fairness to the employment-based immigration system," Khanderao Kand, Chief of Policy and Strategy at the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS), told PTI.

"All stakeholders connected with H-1B visas will heave a sigh of relief after the court order, but one wonders if this is truly the end of the matter," Sanjeev Joshipura, Executive Director, Indiaspora, told PTI.