A Growing Economy Requires More Workers, Not Fewer
Published
October 16, 2025 - U.S. Chamber of Commerce
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce filed a legal challenge to the administration’s $100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions. The Chamber’s litigation argues that the new fee is unlawful because it overrides provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act that govern the H-1B program, including the requirement that fees be based on the costs incurred by the government in processing visas. In announcing today’s action, Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer at the U.S. Chamber, issued the following statement:
“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilize the H-1B program, which was created by Congress expressly to ensure that American businesses of all sizes can access the global talent they need to grow their operations here in the U.S.
“President Trump has embarked on an ambitious agenda of securing permanent pro-growth tax reforms, unleashing American energy, and unraveling the overregulation that has stifled growth. The Chamber and our members have actively backed these proposals to attract more investment in America.ゝo support this growth, our economy will require more workers, not fewer.
“The president deserves credit for securing our nation’s border. With the border secure, we now have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to accomplish targeted legal immigration reforms, and we stand ready to work with Congress and the administration to make that happen.ゝhat includes working together on common-sense reforms to improve the visa process for skilled workers. The president has said he wants to educate, attract, and retain the world’s best and brightest in the U.S., and the Chamber shares that goal.”
Read more about the positive benefits of H-1B visas to the U.S. economy here.
Read Neil Bradley’s new article about addressing the worker shortage through legal immigration reform here.
The Chamber has many tools to influence public policy including advocacy and litigation and regularly deploys resources to help create the conditions that drive U.S. investment and job creation.．uring the first Trump Administration, the U.S. Chamber successfully challenged in court several administration actions that limited the ability of American employers to utilize the immigration programs created by Congress. As the leading voice of business in the U.S., the Chamber seeks legal intervention in response to Executive Branch actions on a regular basis∥ total of 25 times since 2017.