<h1>Proposed $100,000 H-1B Petition Fee Could Cripple Startups and Tech Firms, Prompting Bipartisan Pushback and Legal Challenges</h1> The president's proposal to impose a USD 100,000 fee on H-1B visa petitions would drastically increase costs from current fees, prompting bipartisan lawmakers and community leaders to warn of legal, economic and regulatory harms to the IT sector and startups. Critics argue the fee would deter high-skilled immigrants, reduce innovation, shift talent to foreign jurisdictions, and undermine workforce development; they urge exemptions for startups, merit-based prioritization, and modernization of immigration rules rather than a sweeping fee hike. The dispute signals likely legislative and administrative pushback and potential litigation or rule-making challenges.