Walmart, the biggest private employer in the US, has stopped hiring people who need H-1B visas. This is because the Trump administration has added a new $100,000 fee to these work visas. This big change in policy shows how stricter immigration laws are affecting big US companies. It also affects how many highly skilled foreign workers are available in America’s business sector.
The H-1B visa program lets foreign professionals work in the US for up to six years. It has been very helpful for businesses that are having trouble finding people to fill specialized jobs. Walmart alone has more than 2,000 H-1B visa holders on staff. They are mostly in its quickly growing online store, which competes with tech giants like Amazon.
The $100,000 visa fee from the government is meant to stop people from abusing the H-1B program. However, it could also make hiring more expensive. This may make it harder for US companies to find skilled workers. Some economists say that the visa program helps US businesses stay competitive and grow. This growth creates more jobs in the US.
The fee increase is likely to hit highly skilled professionals from India the hardest. These professionals make up a large majority of approved H-1B applications. Walmart’s choice to stop making new H-1B job offers shows how Trump’s strict immigration policies are affecting businesses and immigrant workers right away.
A Walmart spokesperson said that the company is still committed to hiring the best people. However, they are also carefully thinking about how to hire H-1B workers in the future as the rules change.
This change could be a sign of a bigger change in how US companies hire people. They deal with higher visa costs and more government oversight. This could change the skilled labor market in the US.
