SAN FRANCISCO - A coalition of unions, employers and religious groups filed a lawsuit on Oct 3 seeking to block US President Donald Trump’s bid to impose

a US$100,000 fee on new H-1B visas

The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco is the first to challenge a proclamation Mr Trump issued two weeks ago announcing the fee as the Republican president moves to further restrict immigration to the United States.

Plaintiffs include the United Auto Workers union, the American Association of University Professors, a nurse recruitment agency and several religious organisations. They argued that Mr Trump’s power to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals does not allow him to override the law that created the H-1B visa programme.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The programme allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialty fields, and technology companies in particular rely heavily on workers who receive H-1B visas.

Critics of H-1Bs and other work visa programmes say they are often used to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labour. But business groups and major companies have said H-1Bs are a critical means to address a shortage of qualified American workers.

Employers who sponsor H-1B workers currently typically pay between US$2,000 and US$5,000 in fees, depending on the size of the company and other factors.

Mr Trump’s order bars new H-1B recipients from entering the United States unless the employer sponsoring their visa has made an additional US$100,000 payment. The administration has said the order does not apply to people who already hold H-1B visas or those who submitted applications before Sept 21.

Mr Trump in his unprecedented order invoked his power under fed...