Walmart halts H-1B job offers after Trump administration imposes $100,000 visa fee

The decision follows the Trump administration’s recent move to introduce a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications — a policy that has upended recruitment plans across several sectors.

Bloomberg noted that the suspension primarily affects Walmart’s corporate workforce, though the impact is relatively limited compared with its overall U.S. staff strength of about 1.6 million employees.

Government data show that Walmart employs around 2,390 H-1B visa holders, making it the largest user of such visas among major retail companies.

While substantial, Walmart’s H-1B count remains much lower than that of technology giants such as Amazon.com Inc., Microsoft Corp., and Meta Platforms Inc., which rely heavily on skilled foreign professionals.

“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 company spokeswoman told Bloomberg.

The $100,000 visa levy — part of the Trump administration’s broader overhaul of U.S. immigration rules — has caused widespread concern among corporations dependent on international expertise, Bloomberg added.

In a related development, Walmart had in August 2025 refuted online speculation linking the company to alleged misuse of H-1B visas.

A spokesperson told CNBC-TV18 that while an internal review led to the termination of one vendor and a few U.S.-based associates, “this investigation had nothing to do with H-1B visas.”

The statement came after unverified social media claims alleged hiring irregularities at the company’s Global Tech division, some of which had falsely associated the issue with H-1B visa holders, causing unease within the Indian diaspora in the U.S.