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Murkowski says ruling is a 'welcome relief' for Alaska's students Out of the 573 international teachers working in Alaska, 341 use H-1B's, according to the Alaska School Administrators Council director By Hannah Lee Published: Jun. 8, 2026 at 1:12 PM AKDT|Updated: 8 hours ago Share Add Us On GoogleAdd as a preferred source on Google ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - A federal judge ruled on Monday to block President Donald Trump's policy on imposing a $100,000 fee for new H1-B visas, a ruling that could save hundreds of education jobs in Alaska. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant, employer-sponsored visa for foreign professionals in "specialty occupations" requiring at least a bachelor's degree, commonly in STEM, healthcare, or education fields. It is valid for up to six years, but must be renewed in three-year increments. Judge Leo Sorokin ruled that the fee violated the federal Administrative Procedure Act and the Constitution. He states in his ruling that the Trump administration did not explain the decision to implement the fee and found that it was a tax. Alaska's delegation and the Alaska Legislature were urging the federal government to waive the new H-1B Visa fees for teachers in the state. MORE: Sen. Murkowski introduces legislation asking for school districts to be exempt from H1-B visa fees Lisa Parady, director of the Alaska Council of School Administrators, which supports districts with hiring and recruitment efforts, says there are 573 international teachers working in Alaska, and 341 of them use H-1B visas. "In some rural districts, visa teachers make up 50% to nearly 80% of the teaching staff. School districts already invest $6,000 to $12,000 per teacher to recruit and sponsor educators through the H-1B visa process. Adding a $100,000 federal visa fee has made it financially impossible for many districts to continue hiring the teachers their students depend on. Without an exemption for K-12 public education, rural schools across Alaska would face severe staffing shortages and significant disruptions to student learning," Parady said in a press release. Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, have both independently written letters to the former U.S. Department of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem asking for exemptions. Murkowski introduced a bill in March -- S.4087 -- that would exempt public school employees from the non-processing-related fees for H-1B visas. Sullivan is a co-sponsor of the bill. Murkowski released a public statement on Monday saying that the judge's ruling is a welcome relief for Alaska's schools. "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," Murkowski said. "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." She also states that she plans to work on eliminating the fee permanently so that "Alaska's students receive the best education possible, regardless of the outcome of future legal challenges." Sullivan's office said the senator is working to secure an exemption to the $100,000 H-1B visa fee for teachers coming to Alaska. "Senator Sullivan has been working relentlessly to secure an exemption of the $100,000 H1-B visa fee for teachers who come to our state to fill necessary jobs. Senator Sullivan and his team have been in direct discussions with senior level DHS officials to secure this exemption." The Alaska Legislature passed a joint resolution in May asking for the exemptions, saying that the fees would have resulted in the state making "the difficult choice of paying millions of dollars for visa recipients or going without these needed teachers." See a spelling or grammar error? Report it to web@ktuu.com Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved. Most Read Robin Pendery of Enumclaw, Washington. According to the Denali National Park and Preserve,... National Park ranger dies after falling into crevasse on Mt. McKinley (From left to right) Gabe, Rain, and Noah Brown, siblings of Matt Brown Family of Matt Brown from 'Alaskan Bush People' reflect on his life and death Anchorage police said the Memorial Day crash involved a motorcycle and a Subaru Crosstrek near... Three people killed in Memorial Day Seward Highway crash identified A 17-year-old was killed and five are hospitalized, including one person in critical... 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