Walmart Inc. — the largest user of H-1B visas among major retail chains — has halted job offers to candidates who require the visa, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter.

The decision reflects employers' adjustments caused by the Trump administration’s newly imposed $100,000 visa fee, aimed at tightening rules around skilled foreign labor.

The company’s current guidance primarily affects its corporate offices.

The administration’s new rule, introduced last month, dramatically raises the cost of securing H-1B visas for new applicants — part of a broader effort to discourage heavy reliance on foreign skilled workers. The impact has rippled through the tech and retail sectors, which depend on the program to fill specialized roles.

Government data show Walmart employs roughly 2,390 H-1B visa holders, more than any other U.S. retailer, though the figure represents a fraction of its massive 1.6 million domestic workforce.

By comparison, tech firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta employ significantly higher numbers of visa recipients.

“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 company spokesperson said.

The company’s pause adds to the broader uncertainty facing employers and visa holders since the fee increase was announced.

Many workers say they are frustrated by the shifting immigration landscape despite complying fully with U.S. law, while businesses argue that limits on skilled visas hinder their competitiveness.

Neil Bradley, executive vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, criticized the new fee, saying it will make the program “cost-prohibitive for U.S. employers, particularly startups and midsize companies, to access the global talent they need to grow.” The Chamber has since filed a lawsuit challenging the administration’s policy changes.

The White House defended the fee as an “incremental step toward necessary reforms” to curb perceived abuses of the program.

Established in 1990 to address shortages of high-skilled labor, the H-1B visa program has long drawn scrutiny from critics who say it displaces American workers. Proponents, especially in tech, higher education, and healthcare, argue it remains vital to attracting experts in science, technology, engineering, and math fields where U.S. talent remains scarce.