Walmart Suspends H-1B Visa Hiring as Trump's $100,000 Fee Creates Corporate Workforce Challenges

Walmart, the largest H-1B visa user among major retail chains, has temporarily stopped extending job offers to candidates requiring these visas, according to individuals familiar with the situation who requested anonymity.

This suspension primarily affects corporate positions and comes in direct response to the Trump administration's recently imposed $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, which was implemented as part of efforts to reform the visa program and reduce its perceived overuse.

The policy change has created significant disruption across technology and other sectors that employ substantial numbers of visa holders. Government data indicates Walmart employs approximately 2,390 H-1B visa holders, though this represents only a small portion of its total U.S. workforce of about 1.6 million.

While Walmart ranks among major employers of H-1B recipients, its usage pales in comparison to tech giants like Amazon.com, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms, which depend more heavily on these visas for their workforce needs.

A Walmart spokesperson stated, "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 administration has issued guidance exempting current visa holders from the fee when changing status, meaning certain immigrants, including those with student visas, would not face this financial burden. However, Walmart and other employers would still need to pay the $100,000 fee for new international hires requiring H-1B status to work legally in the United States.

This hiring freeze adds to the uncertainty affecting both employers and visa holders since the policy change was announced. Workers with visas express frustration about immigration policy unpredictability despite their compliance with U.S. laws, while employers contend that visa limitations restrict their ability to meet staffing needs.

Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, criticized the new fee in a statement after the organization sued the Trump administration, saying it would make the H-1B program "cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses" that need access to global talent to grow their American operations.

In response, the White House defended the visa changes as legal and an "incremental step towards necessary reforms to the H-1B program."

Critics of the H-1B program, which was established in 1990 to address specific labor shortages, argue it undermines employment opportunities for skilled American workers. Today, these visas are utilized primarily in the technology industry, which cites insufficient professionals with science, mathematics, and computer skills. Universities and hospitals also depend on these visas to recruit researchers and educators.

John Veitch, dean for the school of business and management at Notre Dame de Namur University, remarked, "It seems like $100,000 is a fairly arbitrary amount. People are looking at it, going, 'Is this for real?'" He noted that ongoing H-1B policy changes, combined with artificial intelligence advancements transforming job roles, could significantly disrupt workforces, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises.