Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has led a coalition of states in filing an amicus brief opposing the Trump Administration’s policy that imposes a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitions. The brief was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in support of Global Nurse Force, which is challenging the fee.
“The Trump Administration’s illegal decision to impose an exorbitant fee on those seeking H-1B visas would gravely harm our state,” said Attorney General Platkin. “This misguided policy will worsen our existing shortages of teachers, doctors, nurses, and other vital public service employees who work every day to ensure the safety, well-being, and education of our residents. And it would undermine cutting-edge medical and scientific research at our universities. We will all pay the price for this Administration’s extreme ideological opposition to any and all immigration—which is why we are proud to lead a multistate coalition in standing up for the thousands of New Jerseyans who hold H-1B visas.”
H-1B visas allow U.S. employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers for roles requiring specialized skills such as physicians, researchers, nurses, and teachers. These workers help address labor shortages across sectors including health care and education.
In September 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation introducing a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications filed after September 21, 2025. The Department of Homeland Security implemented this policy through written documents. According to Platkin’s office, this move could make it difficult for hospitals and schools—especially those serving rural or underserved areas—to hire needed staff.
The amicus brief notes that New Jersey had the fourth-highest number of approvals for initial H-1B employment in fiscal year 2025 with 7,729 cases. In New Jersey alone during 2025, twenty K-12 school systems received H-1B approvals; nine medical residency programs sponsor these visas; and nearly one-third of health care workers are immigrants—many holding H-1B status.
The brief also argues that federal officials did not follow required notice-and-comment rulemaking procedures when adopting the fee policy. This prevented states from voicing concerns about its impact on their economies as well as education and health care systems.
Attorney General Platkin was joined by attorneys general from California, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina Oregon Rhode Island Vermont Washington Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.
The New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin serves as a statewide agency responsible for legal enforcement and public safety throughout New Jersey by providing legal representation law enforcement oversight consumer protection initiatives crime lab support victim advocacy and regulation under its statutory mandate.
