Walmart suspends H-1B hiring amid Trump's new $100,000 visa fee hike

Walmart has paused hiring workers needing H-1B visas after the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 fee, creating uncertainty for employers and foreign employees

Walmart Inc has temporarily stopped hiring candidates who need H-1B visas, Bloomberg reported. The move highlights the effect of the Trump administration’s new $100,000 visa fee on employers across the US.

 

“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 Bloomberg.

 

The policy primarily affects Walmart’s corporate employees, the news report said. Last month, the Trump administration introduced a $100,000 fee for new H-1B applications, aiming to overhaul the visa programme and reduce its perceived overuse.

 

The fee has caused concern in technology and other sectors that rely heavily on H-1B workers. Walmart, the largest H-1B employer among major retail chains, employs roughly 2,390 visa holders, a small fraction of its 1.6 million-strong US workforce.

 

 

Although Walmart is a major H-1B employer in retail, tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta employ far more visa holders.   

 

Confusion for employers and workers

 

The new hiring pause adds to the uncertainty surrounding H-1B visas. Workers have expressed frustration at sudden policy changes, while employers argue that visa caps hinder staffing.

 

“The new $100,000 visa fee will make it cost-prohibitive for US employers, especially start-ups and small and midsize businesses, to utilise the H-1B programme, 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 US,” said Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the Chamber of Commerce, after the group sued the administration over the visa changes.

 

The White House defended the move, calling it legal and “an incremental step towards necessary reforms to the H-1B programme".

 

Critics argue that the programme, introduced in 1990 to fill labor shortages, now mainly serves the tech industry, universities, and hospitals, raising concerns that it reduces employment opportunities for US workers, Bloomberg reported.   

 

H-1B visa fee hike: Who pays and who is exempt

 

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) clarified that recent graduates on F-1 visas switching to H-1B status will not have to pay the $100,000 fee.

 

“Massive loophole in Trump's $100,000 fee announcement. You come as a visitor/student/other nonimmigrant visa, you don't need to pay the fee, even if you travel afterward to obtain an H-1B visa,” immigration attorney Charles Kuck wrote on X.

 

The fee applies to petitions filed on or after 12:01 am EDT (9:31 am IST) on September 21, 2025, for workers outside the US without a valid H-1B visa. It also covers petitions requesting consular notification, port of entry notification, or pre-flight inspection for workers inside the US.

 

Those applying for a change of status (such as F-1 to H-1B) or an extension of stay inside the US are exempt from the fee.

 

Who must pay the $100,000 fee

• New H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025

• Workers outside the US without a valid H-1B visa

• Petitions requesting consular or port of entry notification for workers in the US

• Petitions where a change of status or extension is denied

 

Who is exempt

• Current H-1B holders with valid visas

• Petitions submitted before 12:01 am EDT (9:31 am IST) on September 21, 2025

• Petitions for amendment, change of status or extension of stay inside the US when approved