Walmart Inc., the largest private employer in the United States, has reportedly paused extending job offers to candidates needing H-1B visas, according to sources cited by Bloomberg on Wednesday.
The move underscores the growing challenges faced by companies navigating the U.S. administration’s new H-1B visa structure, which includes fees that can reach $100,000, affecting hiring decisions across the tech and corporate sectors.
The new guideline primarily impacts Walmart’s corporate workforce, according to the report. This decision follows last month’s announcement by President Donald Trump, which introduced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B visa applications, a measure intended to reform the program and reduce what officials describe as widespread reliance on foreign talent.
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Government records show that Walmart employs more H-1B visa holders than any other major U.S. retail chain, with around 2,390 workers on such visas. While significant in context, this figure represents only a small fraction of the company’s total American workforce, which numbers about 1.6 million.
Although Walmart is a leading H-1B employer in the retail sector, its numbers remain lower than those at major tech firms like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, which rely extensively on H-1B visas to fill specialized roles.
“Walmart is committed to hiring and investing in the best talent to serve our customers, while remaining thoughtful about our H-1B hiring approach,” a Walmart spokeswoman told the portal.
Under the H-1B program, the U.S. issues 65,000 visas annually for employers seeking temporary foreign workers in specialized roles, along with an extra 20,000 visas reserved for applicants holding advanced degrees.
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The U.S. administration recently clarified that current H-1B visa holders changing their status would be exempt from the new fee, shielding some immigrants, including those on student visas, from the $100,000 charge. Nonetheless, companies like Walmart must still cover the full fee for new hires under the H-1B program who do not yet have legal authorization to work in the United States.
“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilize the H-1B program, which was created by Congress expressly to ensure that American businesses of all sizes can access the global talent they need to grow their operations here in the U.S.,” as the report quoted Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce’s statement.
The White House defended the move, saying the visa changes are legal and represent an “incremental step towards necessary reforms to the H-1B program.”