A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration may implement a $100,000 fee on new H‑1B visa applications, delivering a major legal win for the administration and a potential disruption to university hiring. The Chamber of Commerce and other plaintiffs plan appeals; state attorneys general and university partners have separate lawsuits targeting the policy’s public‑sector implications. If the fee stands, research universities and hospitals that rely on international faculty, postdocs and technical staff face sharply higher costs or constrained talent pipelines, prompting institutions to reassess recruiting, salary budgeting and international graduate student support.