Walmart denies visa fraud link, says terminations not tied to H-1B workers

Walmart has sought to end speculation that its internal probe uncovered visa-related fraud, stressing that recent personnel changes had nothing to do with H-1B workers. In a statement to Hindustan Times, the company confirmed that the investigation led to the termination of one vendor and “a small number of US-based associates,” but emphasised that the action was unrelated to visas.

A Walmart spokesperson said, “After an investigation, Walmart recently terminated one vendor and a few US-based employees,” adding that the probe was not connected to H-1B visas.

The clarification comes after unverified claims began circulating on workplace discussion app Blind, where anonymous employees suggested that large-scale fraud had occurred at the retailer. Some posts alleged that a Vice President in Walmart’s Global Tech division had been removed for accepting kickbacks in contract hiring. Similar speculation spread across Reddit and X, with some users linking the rumours to H-1B workers.

The chatter gained traction after Switzerland-based IT consultancy CTOL Digital Solutions flagged the speculation, though it also noted there was no confirmation from Walmart. Despite the lack of evidence, the rumours snowballed online.

The issue drew political attention when US Senator Mike Lee of Utah shared a screenshot of the CTOL report on X, questioning whether it was time to “pause H-1B visas.”

Earlier this year, Walmart eliminated around 1,500 positions, sparking debate online over whether American jobs were being replaced by foreign visa holders, an allegation the company has denied.

Why the controversy?

The controversy comes against the backdrop of strained India–US ties, with Washington recently imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. The latest row has fuelled concern that President Trump could next target the H-1B programme, which brings thousands of Indian engineers and IT professionals to the United States.