Murkowski Speaks on H-1B Court Ruling

Murkowski Speaks on H-1B Court Ruling

WASHINGTON-Following today's announcement that a federal judge struck down a $100,000 fee that U.S. President Donald Trump imposed on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) released the following statement:

"Today's decision from a U.S. District Judge to vacate the policy implementing the Presidential Proclamation mandating a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applicants-a 5,000% increase in some cases-came at a critical time for Alaska's schools that are in the midst of hiring before next fall. Many school districts in rural and remote parts of the state rely on the H-1B visa program to bring quality teachers to their communities. In Alaska, this isn't a partisan issue: the state legislature unanimously passed a resolution last month urging the federal government to waive the fee for educators.

"Last year, I introduced legislation to create an educator exemption, and I've been talking to Secretary Mullin about an administrative waiver from the fee to help bring teachers here. Today's news is welcome relief for Alaska's schools, but I will continue working to eliminate this fee permanently so that Alaska's students are receiving the best education possible, regardless of the outcome of future legal challenges."

Background:

On September 19, 2025, President Trump issued a proclamation requiring all H-1B visa applicants to accompany their petitions with a payment of $100,000 to be considered for entry into the U.S., in addition to existing fees and costs. School districts across Alaska have faced persistent teaching shortages while struggling to hire domestically. Alaska has made significant progress in addressing the issue by recruiting internationally and using the H-1B visa program to help ensure classrooms remain staffed.

On October 8, 2025, Senator Murkowski wrote a letter to then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem urging her to use her discretionary waiver authority to exempt teachers from the increased fee.

Senator Murkowski highlighted in the letter to the Department that "Alaska's most rural school districts have small budgets-particularly in light of the high costs to provide services in rural Alaska-due to small student populations. A requirement to pay $100,000 per H-1B teacher would be impossible to meet-both for the districts and the individual teachers."

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