If you’ve ever dreamed of working legally in America in your professional field, gaining experience at major companies, and perhaps one day obtaining a Green Card, you’ve most likely heard of the H-1B visa. This visa is the main legal key that opens America’s doors to foreign programmers, engineers, financial professionals, and scientists.
But in recent months, this topic had become a real nightmare for anyone dreaming of working in the U.S. Why? Because there was an “unexpected” $100,000 fee decision in place.
Finally, in early June (June 8, 2026), the long-awaited news arrived! A federal court in Boston officially struck down this decision.
What Is the H-1B Itself?
To put it simply: H-1B is a temporary work visa designated for highly skilled workers that U.S. companies bring from abroad.
Two essential rules:
1. You cannot apply on your own. The application must be filed on your behalf by a U.S.-based company that has offered you a job.
2. A degree is required. This visa is not granted for just any job. The position must be specialized enough that it requires at least a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent work experience). Programmers, data analysts, engineers, doctors, and financial professionals are the most common users of this system.
This visa initially gives you the right to work in America for 3 years, which can then be extended for another 3 years — for a total of 6 years. If during this period your company starts a Green Card process for you, your stay in the U.S. is officially extended even further.
How Does the H-1B Lottery Work?
The most challenging part of the H-1B visa is its limit. The U.S. government allocates only 85,000 spots per year (20,000 of which are specifically reserved for those who completed a master’s or doctorate degree at U.S. universities).
But the number of applicants is so high (in recent years, for example, there were over 700,000 registrations) that USCIS (the Immigration Service) has been forced to hold a computer lottery every March. If your name comes out of that lottery, your company officially submits your documents — and if everything goes well, you start working on October 1.
So What Was That Dreaded “$100,000” Issue?
The scenario completely changed last September (2025). The Trump administration signed a new decision under the pretext of reducing the entry of foreign workers and protecting local talent. According to the order, for every new H-1B applicant, companies had to pay an additional $100,000 fee!
While normally a worker’s visa paperwork costs a company between $2,000 and $5,000, that number suddenly jumped to over $100,000 overnight.
What was the result? Even major companies didn’t want to take that risk. For example, while previously hundreds of applications came in every month, by February of this year, USCIS had received only 85 applications with this payment across all of America. The system was practically paralyzed. Students and young professionals were on the verge of losing hope.
June 8, 2026: The Justice Ruling From the Court
The states affected by this decision (led by California, Massachusetts, and New York, along with 20 state attorneys general in total) joined forces and sued the government. Their argument was very simple and logical: “The President or the immigration agency cannot impose a tax on their own. In America, the authority to impose taxes belongs solely to Congress — the body elected by the people.”
The federal judge, Leo Sorokin, ruled in a 42-page decision that the states were completely correct. The judge noted that this $100,000 was not a simple “service fee” — it was a direct punitive tax, and it violated the Constitution.
Immediate effects of the ruling:
✅ That dreaded $100,000 payment was officially eliminated.
✅ Fees returned to their previous normal levels ($2,000 - $5,000).
✅ Giants like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta — along with small startups — can once again easily hire talented young people from all over the world.
Why Does This Decision Matter?
If you’re currently studying in the U.S. or applying for jobs at major American tech companies from abroad, this ruling shaped your future. Because if the $100,000 fee had remained, no company would have taken such a huge financial risk for a foreign professional they didn’t know — and the doors would have completely closed in your face.
Yes, there is still a risk that the government may take this decision to higher courts (file an appeal). But the reality today is this: justice won, and the H-1B system has returned to its previous, fair rhythm.
In America, immigration rules wake up with a new surprise every day — but this time, the news that came showed that the years of hard work, study, and effort of so many people did not go in vain.