Walmart's decision to pause H-1B hirings was first reported by Bloomberg News.
The retailer is the largest private employer in the US. It employs roughly 1.6 million people across the country. But while Walmart is the largest beneficiary of the H-1B visas in the retail sector, the programme is often associated with the giants of the US tech sector.
Amazon tops the list of beneficiaries, with more than 10,000 H-1B visas approved in the first half of 2025. Microsoft, Meta, Apple and Google each secured more than 4,000 visas through the programme through June, according to US government data.
Startups, as well as smaller firms beyond tech, also employ workers through H-1B visas.
Trump's order only applies to new visa requests in the programme and vows to restrict entry unless a payment is made.
Critics have long argued that H-1Bs undercut the American workforce, while supporters - including billionaire Elon Musk - argue it allows the US to attract top talent from around the world.
India dominates the H-1B programme, making up more than 70% of the recipients in recent years. China was the second-largest source, comprising about 12% of recipients.
"The company needs to decide... is the person valuable enough to have a $100,000-a-year payment to the government, or they should head home, and they should go hire an American," US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last month, when Trump signed the order imposing the $100,000 fee.
