Amazon, Walmart shareholder urges firms to report Trump visa impact

SOC Investment Group has asked Amazon, Walmart, and Alphabet to report how changes to US immigration policies under President Donald Trump are affecting their operations.

The group, which holds less than 1% of each company, sent letters to the firms on December 17, 2025 requesting information on the impact of new H-1B visa fees and labor availability on finances and supply chains.

SOC Investment Group, aligned with unions, has previously pushed companies to increase transparency on racial equity and lobbying.

The letters cite concerns about how stricter immigration policies could affect sectors like trucking and farming, which support supermarket supply chains.

🔗 Source: Reuters

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Implications, context, and why it matters.

US$100,000 H-1B work-visa fee applies to new foreign hires only

Applies only to new H-1B petitions, the U.S. high-skilled “specialty occupation” work visa, for workers abroad starting September 21, 2025. Excludes amendments, extensions, or status changes for people already in the U.S. 1.
Most F-1 students, the U.S. student visa, changing status to H-1B inside the U.S. fall outside the fee. The rule hits offshore hiring more than campus-to-work conversions 2.
Base H-1B filing fee was $215. The jump to $100,000 equals roughly a 465x increase, which could curb hiring for lower- and mid-level roles while firms still bid for top talent, per Canadian Press (a Canadian news agency) sources 3.
Lawsuits from business groups include a case by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The challenges create uncertainty over duration and enforcement 1.

Canada offers fast tech-worker pathways; government eyes a ‘clear offering’ amid U.S. changes

Global Talent Stream, an expedited work-permit route for high-skilled roles, gives processing times as short as two weeks 4.
prime minister Mark Carney said a “clear offering” is coming to attract tech talent affected by U.S. policy shifts 3.
Some U.S. tech firms hire in Canada then use transfer visas, often intra-company transfers (L-1), to move staff to American offices. One industry leader called Vancouver “Ellis Island” in this setup 3.
About 60% of H-1B visas since 2012 went to people in computer-related fields, which underscores the sector’s exposure to U.S. changes 3.