Bad optics: Walmart scandal exposes deeper immigration hiring abuses

Walmart is reeling after revelations that a vice president in its Global Tech division allegedly pocketed bribes worth tens of thousands of dollars per day from Indian staffing firms. The scheme, exposed not by auditors but through anonymous posts on Blind and Reddit, led to the abrupt termination of about 1,200 contractors many believed to be on H-1B visas. The episode has sparked questions not only about corporate governance at America’s largest retailer, but also about how deeply Walmart has relied on foreign labor pipelines to fill U.S. jobs.

While the company insists the scandal “had nothing to do with H-1B visas,” the optics tell a different story. Contractors were locked out of systems overnight, projects were halted and an entire vendor stack tied to India-based firms was cut off. The incident highlights a bigger, long-standing issue: Walmart’s extensive use of immigration programs that critics say sideline American workers while rewarding global staffing cartels.

For years, Walmart has leaned on H-1B and related visa schemes, partnering with outsourcing giants and body shops that recruit foreign nationals to fill U.S. tech roles. In 2023 alone, Indians accounted for over 70% of all H-1B visas issued under programs sold to the public as a way to fill “critical skills gaps,” but that increasingly serve as a backdoor for cheap labor and corporate cost-cutting. Walmart’s prior layoffs and restructuring moves have often overlapped with visa-heavy hiring, prompting outrage from American employees who see their careers displaced in favor of imported labor.

The current bribery scandal is not an isolated event, but rather is a flashpoint that pulls back the curtain on years of questionable hiring practices. From kickback schemes to vendor favoritism, to its deep ties with Indian outsourcing partners, Walmart’s immigration history is riddled with red flags. The company’s public denial will not erase the growing perception that Walmart has been part of the broader pattern of visa abuse undermining U.S. workers.

Walmart’s Immigration Profile:

The numbers tell a stark story. Between 2017 and 2025, Walmart laid off more than 33,000 U.S. workers while simultaneously driving nearly 45,000 H-1B visa requests through direct filings and contracting companies. The company’s reliance on foreign labor is even more clear in its green card pipeline. Of the 2,982 total cases, 87.1% were for Indian nationals, leaving all other countries combined at just 12.9%. With over 1,200 contracting companies feeding H-1B workers into Walmart’s tech operations, the data suggest a deliberate strategy: cutting American jobs while expanding dependence on a foreign workforce, overwhelmingly from India. This imbalance raises fundamental questions about Walmart’s priorities and their impact on U.S. workers.

Here are Walmart’s Top 25 H-1B contracting companies: