Walmart Inc. has decided to pause job offers for H-1B visa holders, according to a new Bloomberg report. The company, which is also the largest private employer in the United States, took this step in response to the Trump administration’s newly imposed hefty fee on employers hiring H-1B candidates.
Walmart pauses job offers for H-1B candidates
Under the new rule, companies are required to pay a $100,000 visa application fee for each H-1B candidate. The policy has already impacted the tech industry, which heavily relies on skilled workers from India and China. Walmart’s decision to pause hiring has largely affected the corporate-level positions, the sources said, according to Bloomberg.
According to US President Donald Trump, the new executive order is a measure to reform an “abused” visa program. For the unversed, the H-1B visa program is particularly used in the technology and retail sectors, which employ thousands of foreign workers under this system. Trump’s order is likely to hit professionals from India the most. In recent years, Indians have received over 70% of all H-1B visas, followed by China, which accounts for about 12%.
Walmart’s stance
Confirming the development, a Walmart spokesperson 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.”
According to US government data, Walmart employs around 2,390 H-1B visa holders, making it the largest user of the visa program in the retail sector. However, that number represents only a small section of its 1.6 million-strong US workforce.
While Walmart is one of the top employers of H-1B recipients among retail companies, it’s still far behind major tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google, which rely heavily on the program.
In the first half of 2025, Amazon received over 10,000 H-1B approvals, while Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google each hired over 4,000 H-1B visa holders, according to official data from via BBC.
The decision to halt H-1B hiring at Walmart, first reported by Bloomberg, shows how companies are reassessing recruitment strategies under Trump’s immigration crackdown. This is not the first company to do so. In 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..
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, speaking when Trump signed the order, said companies will now have to weigh the cost of sponsorship. “The company needs to decide — is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or should they hire an American instead?” he said.