Shares in retail giant Walmart (WMT) were flat today as it emerged that it has stopped hiring people who require controversial H-1B visas.
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Thoughtful Employer
As first reported by Bloomberg, Walmart has decided to pause job offers to candidates using H-1B visas, marking a major move for the retail sector and U.S. business in general. That’s because Walmart gave the green light to more than 2,000 H-1B visas in the first half of this year, more than any other retailer.
A Walmart spokesperson said it is “committed to hiring and investing in the best talent to serve our customers, while remaining thoughtful about our H-1B hiring approach.”
The H-1B allows employers to petition for highly educated foreign professionals to work in “specialty occupations” that require at least a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. Jobs in fields such as mathematics, engineering, technology, and medical sciences often qualify.
However, concerned that replacing American workers with lower-paid foreign workers poses a threat to national security, President Trump signed an executive order last month imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B applicants.
That’s up from an average cost of between $4,535 and $17,885.
Tech Impact
It had been expected that the biggest impact of the changes would be on the U.S. tech sector. Amazon (AMZN) had more than 10,000 H-1B visas approved in the first half of 2025, with rivals such as Apple (AAPL) and Meta (META) securing more than 4,000 visas.
Business groups have objected to Trump’s decision, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently filing a lawsuit against the administration. It believes that the increased fee harms American businesses and forces them to either increase labor costs or lose access to skilled overseas talent.
Trump, whose tariff policy has the creation and protection of American jobs at its heart, believes the opposite. It is why political decisions are such a key risk for companies, including Walmart, and their investors.
For Walmart, which is increasingly diversifying its business away from bananas and back-to-school clothes to technology, it could potentially stymie some of those moves. That includes new AI shopping assistants and partnerships with major tech names such as OpenAI.
Is WMT a Good Stock to Buy Now?
On TipRanks, WMT has a Strong Buy consensus based on 29 Buy ratings. Its highest price target is $129. WMT stock’s consensus price target is $115.11. implying a 7.66% upside.
