What happens when hiring top global talent suddenly costs $100,000 per person?
For Walmart, the answer is simple—pause. The retail giant has decided to stop hiring candidates who need H-1B visas.
This comes after President Trump’s latest executive order slapped a hefty new fee on the program for skilled foreign workers.
The H-1B system, long praised for bringing in top global talent, is now at the center of a political storm.
Trump argues it’s been “abused” by companies replacing Americans with cheaper foreign labor.
Critics say that’s nonsense. “The company needs to decide,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
“Is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government?”
Tech Giants On Alert
Walmart, which employs 1.6 million people in the US, had more than 2,000 H-1B visas approved just this year.
Its statement was measured: it remains “committed to hiring the best talent” but will be “thoughtful” about its approach.
Tech giants are also watching closely. Amazon, for instance, snagged over 10,000 H-1Bs in early 2025.
Google, Meta, and Microsoft each topped 4,000.
The US Chamber of Commerce has already sued, calling the fee “cost-prohibitive.”
As America debates whether it’s protecting jobs or pushing talent away, one question lingers.
Who really pays the price when opportunity comes with a $100,000 tag?
