In light of stricter new rules regarding the use of H-1B workers, Walmart is reportedly pausing job offers to candidates who require these permits to work in the United States.
Last month, The Dallas Express reported that the Trump administration imposed a new one-time fee of $100,000 on new H-1B visa petitions.
H-1B work visas are valid for three years and can be renewed for an additional three years. While some economists argue the program allows American companies to remain competitive, it has come under increasing scrutiny for its overuse to cut costs at the expense of American workers.
A poll conducted by the anonymous workplace app Blind between August 25 and September 3 found that more than half of Americans believe the visa program is taking jobs away from citizens.
Dallas-based Texas Instruments recently announced a fresh round of layoffs in North Texas, despite records revealing the tech company continues to seek approval to bring in hundreds of foreign workers to its Dallas-Fort Worth facilities.
According to government data, Walmart currently employs 2,390 H-1B visa holders, ranking it among the largest users of the visa among retail chains.
“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 spokesperson for the company said to CNN.
Walmart is far from the largest user of H1-B workers, with the tech sector dominating the top 10 list of Fortune 500 companies leveraging the permit.
- Amazon: 12,391
- Microsoft: 5,189
- Meta: 5,123
- Apple: 4,202F
- Google: 4,181
- Cognizant Technology Solutions: 2,493
- JPMorgan Chase: 2,440
- Walmart: 2,390
- Oracle: 2,092
- Intel: 1,698