Federal judge blocks H1B visa $100K fee

Post by bluegatty » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 4:57 AM UTC

AngryData wrote: post #210

bluegatty wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's literally exactly the argument. If teachers were underpaid - it would be a poor argument. But if there's an acute shortage of 'key' workers in jobs that require education, for jobs where wages are materially above market pricing - then this is where you want H1B type programs. The idea is that it should not harm the local market for labour, and it's usually not reasonable to expect market wages to be a radical d…

This would hold more weight if teachers in rural areas weren't getting paid less than half your thought experiment average.

Post by QGQBGdeZREunxLe » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 4:59 AM UTC

dpark wrote: post #217

QGQBGdeZREunxLe wrote: post #208

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. Fees have to be justified and USCIS is not spending $100,000 to process a H1B applicant. They are raising revenue. Which is taxation. Calling something a fee doesn't make it a fee if, in substance, it operates like a tax.

> Fees have to be justified Do they? Honest question. Is there a law that says fees must be in some sense justified? > Calling something a fee doesn't make it a fee if, in substance, it operates like a tax. This seems like a nonsense response to GP. They gave a definition of fee vs tax that is based on a meaningful distinction and not what it happens to be called.

Post by rayiner » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 5:03 AM UTC

QGQBGdeZREunxLe wrote: post #208

rayiner wrote: post #176

I’m going to call this one as likely to be overturned on appeal. The Immigration and Naturalization Act provides: “Whenever the President finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, he may by proclamation, and for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigran…

I disagree. Fees have to be justified and USCIS is not spending $100,000 to process a H1B applicant. They are raising revenue. Which is taxation. Calling something a fee doesn't make it a fee if, in substance, it operates like a tax.

Post by icepush » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 5:08 AM UTC

esalman wrote: post #123

randyrand wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are an excess of teachers in the USA already. It’s a big reason they aren’t paid that well. No good reason to import them except to pay them even less .

I hear this argument all the time. There's an excess of this, there's an excess of that. Seems it only comes from people who are not directly involved in hiring of such roles. We hired for an analyst role few months ago in the bay area and there was no qualified American applicants. My wife is in pavement consultancy and they hardly ever find qualified Americans for pavement design jobs.

Post by zx8080 » Tue, Jun 09, 2026, 5:09 AM UTC

randyrand wrote: post #58

jorgen123 wrote: post #41

For those not reading the linked article, it was not about tech (although valid discussions here). I had not expected this (this is about rural Alaska): > “In some rural districts, visa teachers make up 50% to nearly 80% of the teaching staff. School districts already invest $6,000 to $12,000 per teacher to recruit and sponsor educators through the H-1B visa process. Adding a $100,000 federal visa fee has made it fin…

There are an excess of teachers in the USA already. It’s a big reason they aren’t paid that well. No good reason to import them except to pay them even less .