California school districts are raising alarms over a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas introduced by the Trump administration. This fee is charged on top of existing costs of $9,500 to $18,800 for hiring foreign workers. School officials say the fee will worsen California’s deep teacher shortage. Since September, the process to sponsor foreign teachers has become much more expensive. The state’s education department reports more than 300 H-1B visa applications for teachers in 2023-24, double the number from two years ago. Many of these teachers fill key roles in dual-language, special education, and physical education classes. California faces a severe shortage: nearly 47,000 teaching roles were filled by uncertified staff in 2023, with over 22,000 jobs unfilled. West Contra Costa Unified School District alone hired 88 foreign teachers, mainly from the Philippines, Spain, and Mexico, to meet demand. However, new visa fees may end such hiring efforts. Teachers’ unions warn this will increase workload and hurt students. Some question if H-1B visas are now used for less specialized jobs. A physical education teacher on a short-term J-1 visa said, "Everybody says here that they need teachers in California … but they don’t want to do anything to [help us stay] here." Soon after the fee announcement, a coalition of worker groups, unions, and religious groups filed a lawsuit, warning the fee will harm education and healthcare sectors. Foreign teachers feel unwelcome. An elementary school teacher on an H-1B visa said, "I feel like it’s a form of discrimination to impose [a] $100,000 fee for teachers." Adding to the debate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis tweeted, "Another example of how H1B visas are used to hire foreigners when an American could easily fill the roll." The rising costs and political tensions put California’s schools in a tight spot as they struggle to keep classrooms staffed and students learning.