White House defends H-1B visa reforms, says Trump’s priority is ‘putting American workers first’

Washington, Oct 2025 : The White House has reaffirmed that President Donald Trump’s top priority in reforming the H-1B visa programme is to safeguard American jobs and wages, pledging to vigorously contest lawsuits filed against the administration’s recent visa restrictions.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that the President remains committed to protecting the interests of domestic workers. “The President’s main priority has always been to put American workers first. The administration will fight these lawsuits in court. For far too long, the H-1B visa system has been plagued by fraud and misuse, driving down American wages,” Leavitt said.
She added that the administration’s new policies were both lawful and necessary, and that the White House would “continue to fight this battle in court.”

The statement followed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) release of new guidance on the $100,000 H-1B application fee, which introduced several exemptions. Under the revised rules, foreign workers switching from other visa categories, such as F-1 student visas, will not be subject to the new fee.

Similarly, H-1B visa holders applying for amendments, extensions, or changes of status within the US will be exempt. The guidance also clarified that current H-1B holders would not face travel restrictions when entering or leaving the country.

The proclamation applies only to new visa applicants outside the United States who do not already possess a valid H-1B visa. DHS has also launched an online payment system to facilitate the new process.

The US Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business organisation, filed a lawsuit last week in a Washington district court, arguing that the new visa fee would “inflict significant harm on American businesses.” The Chamber claimed the fee would force companies to either raise labour costs or reduce hiring of skilled foreign professionals, for whom there are no readily available domestic replacements.

The lawsuit described Trump’s September 19 proclamation as “plainly unlawful” and a “boon to America’s economic rivals.” It marked the second major legal challenge to the new H-1B rules, following a similar suit filed earlier this month by unions, educators, and religious groups.

When signing the proclamation, President Trump had justified the move by saying, “The incentive is to hire American workers.”

The H-1B visa programme, long used by US technology and engineering companies to recruit skilled workers from abroad, has become a flashpoint in the broader debate over immigration reform and job protection. The White House maintains that its reforms are intended to ensure fairness and restore integrity to the system while prioritising opportunities for American citizens.