Walmart stands as the largest employer of H-1B visa holders among prominent retail chains, with approximately 2,390 employees reliant on these visas, as per government statistics. (Joe Buglewicz/Bloomberg)
October 21, 2025, 2:49 PM, EDT | Updated:
October 21, 2025, 5:45 PM, EDT
Key Takeaways:
- Walmart has halted job offers for candidates seeking H-1B visas following the Trump administration’s imposition of a $100,000 fee on new applications, sources indicate.
- The moratorium predominantly impacts corporate positions, illustrating the extensive ramifications of the new visa fee, which has attracted lawsuits and criticism from business sectors due to increased hiring costs.
- While the White House defends the regulation as a lawful initiative toward H-1B reform, employers and visa holders express concerns that it may exacerbate labor shortages and impede recruitment efforts.
Walmart Inc. has temporarily suspended job offers to individuals requiring H-1B visas, according to informed sources. This cessation exemplifies the disruptive influence of the Trump administration’s $100,000 visa fee on labor markets.
The current guideline primarily pertains to Walmart’s corporate staff, as revealed by sources who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the information.
Ranked first on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of North America’s largest private carriers, Walmart’s decision underscores the shifting dynamics within employment practices.
Last month, the Trump administration enacted a $100,000 surcharge for new H-1B applications in an initiative aimed at restructuring the visa system and mitigating its excessive use.
The ripple effects of this policy are felt across various industries, particularly in technology, employing substantial numbers of visa recipients.
Walmart’s status as the largest consumer of H-1B visas among key retail players is reinforced by its employment of an estimated 2,390 H-1B visa holders, per government data. This number, while significant, is merely a sliver of its total American workforce of around 1.6 million.
Despite being a considerable employer of H-1B visa holders, Walmart’s numbers pale in comparison to tech behemoths such as Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Meta Platforms Inc., which rely extensively on foreign professionals.
“Walmart is devoted to recruiting and investing in top-tier talent to meet our customers’ needs, while carefully navigating our H-1B hiring protocol,” stated a Walmart spokesperson.
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The administration recently provided guidance exempting current visa holders from the $100,000 fee if they change their immigration status, thereby allowing some immigrants, including current student visa holders, to bypass this cost.
However, Walmart and other businesses remain obligated to pay this fee for prospective H-1B hires not already authorized to work in the U.S.
This freeze on new H-1B hiring compounds the uncertainty confronting employers and visa recipients since the announcement of the changes. Many visa-holding workers express frustration regarding the volatile immigration policies, especially when they have adhered to U.S. law. Concurrently, employers voice concerns that strict visa quotas hinder their ability to fulfill staffing needs.
The newly instituted $100,000 visa fee renders the H-1B program economically unfeasible for U.S. employers, particularly startups and small- to medium-sized enterprises.
This program was designed by Congress explicitly to enable American businesses of all sizes to access international talent essential for their growth, remarked Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, following the business lobbying group’s lawsuit against the Trump administration earlier this month over the visa reforms.
In counterpoint, the White House maintains that the visa modifications are legal and represent an incremental movement toward much-needed reforms in the H-1B framework.
Critics assert that the program, originally instituted in 1990 to address specific labor shortages, undermines the employment prospects of skilled U.S. workers.
Currently, these visas predominantly serve the tech sector, which often cites a lack of professionals skilled in science, mathematics, and computer technology.
Additionally, universities and healthcare institutions depend on these visas to attract researchers and educators.
“The $100,000 figure appears rather arbitrary. Many are questioning its legitimacy,” stated John Veitch, dean of the school of business and management at Notre Dame de Namur University.
He cautioned that the ongoing alterations to H-1B policies, coupled with advancements in artificial intelligence reshaping job roles, could significantly disrupt employment dynamics, particularly within smaller enterprises.
Source link: Ttnews.com.
