India, Oct. 4 -- A group of unions, higher education professionals and a staffing agency, among others, have sued the Donald Trump administration over its decision to charge a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas that allowed skilled foreign workers to work in the US.

The lawsuit, the first major challenge to Trump's H-1B visa plan, was filed in a federal court in San Francisco on Friday. The plaintiffs include the Justice Action Center, the Democracy Forward Foundation and South Asian American Justice Collaborative, the New York Times reported.

Trump had signed a proclamation last month requiring the $100,000 fee payment for a new H-1B visa application. The White House had argued of an "abuse" of the visa programme and said it historically hurt...