Amid the H-1B Visa Row, Walmart Halts Job Offers for Visa Holders; Says 'Thoughtful About our Hiring Approach'

Walmart Inc., the largest private employer in the United States has decided to halt job offers for H-1B visa holders as a response to the Trump administration’s newly imposed hefty fee on employers hiring H-1B candidates.

As per the new rule, companies are required to pay a $100,000 visa application fee for each H-1B candidate. Following the announcements regarding this, the policy has impacted the tech industry, the one which is heavily reliant on skilled workers from India and China. According to sources, quoted by Bloomberg, Walmart’s decision to pause hiring has largely affected the corporate-level positions.

According to US President Donald Trump, the new executive order is a measure to reform an “abused” visa program. The H-1B visa program is used mainly in the technology and retail sectors, which employ thousands of foreign workers under this system. The order is likely to hit professionals from India the most. In the recent years, Indians have received over 70% of all H-1B visas, followed by China, which accounts for about 12%.

Commenting on the development, a spokesperson from the company said, “Walmart is committed to hiring and investing in the best talent to serve our customers, while remaining thoughtful about our H-1B hiring approach.”

The US government data reveals that Walmart employs around 2,390 H-1B visa holders, making it the top user of the visa program in the retail sector. However, that number represents only a handful of its 1.6 million-strong US workforce.

Even though Walmart is one of the top employers of H-1B recipients among retail companies, it’s still behind major tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google, which rely heavily on the program.

Amazon received over 10,000 H-1B approvals in the first half of 2025, while Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google each hired over 4,000 H-1B visa holders, official data quoted by BBC said.

Bloomberg first reported about Walmart’s decision to halt hiring. The report pointed out how companies are reassessing recruitment strategies under Trump’s immigration crackdown and the company is not the first company to do so.

Over the last few months, several small startups and businesses have already changed their stance toward H-1B holders, while larger corporations have remained silent on the issueFor the unversed, the  $100,000 fee applies only to new H-1B filings. However, business leaders and economists warn that such a steep fee could discourage global talent from coming to the US, and the country might lose its competitiveness.