Walmart is reportedly pausing the hiring of candidates requiring H-1B visas, according to the BBC, following the Trump administration’s implementation of a new $100,000 fee that has stirred concern among US employers.
Last month, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing the fee on H-1B visa applicants, citing what he described as “abuse” of the program designed for skilled foreign workers, which he claims undermines the American workforce.
Walmart leads the list of retail chains utilizing the H-1B program, with approvals for over 2,000 visas in the first half of 2025.
A Walmart spokesperson stated that the retail giant remains “committed to hiring and investing in the best talent to serve our customers, while remaining thoughtful about our H-1B hiring approach.”
The decision by Walmart to temporarily suspend H-1B hiring was initially reported by Bloomberg News.
As the largest private employer in the US, Walmart employs approximately 1.6 million individuals nationwide. While it is the foremost beneficiary of H-1B visas within the retail sector, the program is more commonly associated with prominent US technology companies.
Amazon holds the top position among beneficiaries, having secured approvals for over 10,000 H-1B visas in the first half of 2025. According to US government data, Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Google each obtained more than 4,000 visas through the program by June.
Startups and smaller businesses outside the tech industry also employ workers through H-1B visas.
Trump’s executive order applies solely to new visa applications within the program and stipulates restricted entry unless the mandated payment is made.
Critics have long contended that the H-1B program undercuts the American workforce. Conversely, proponents, including billionaire Elon Musk, assert that it enables the US to attract top-tier global talent.
India is the leading participant in the H-1B program, accounting for over 70% of recipients in recent years, with China as the second-largest source, comprising approximately 12%.
During the signing of the executive order imposing the $100,000 fee last month, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated, “The company needs to decide… is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home, and they should go hire an American.”
However, business groups have voiced opposition to Trump’s order.
The US Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration last week. Neil Bradley, the pro-business group’s chief policy officer, stated that the fee would render the H-1B program “cost-prohibitive” for US employers.
In its complaint, the group argued that the fee, if implemented, would negatively impact American businesses, compelling them to either increase labor costs or reduce the hiring of highly skilled employees.
In response to the lawsuit, the White House defended the fee as lawful and a “necessary, initial, incremental step towards necessary reforms” to the program.
The comments by the US president come after plans to meet his Russian counterpart over the war in Ukraine were put on hold.
The ‘squashbucklers’ climbed into their hollowed out giant gourds, which are grown locally in the US state of Oregon.
Presidents have brought their own tastes, needs, and quirks, and the White House reflects it all.
Demolition work has begun on part of the White House to make way for President Trump’s new ballroom.
A former White House chief ethics lawyer described the ballroom donations as an ethical “nightmare”.