US bars four companies from H-1B program as 'willful violators' effective July 1, 2026: Check here

The US Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its list of employers barred from participating in the H-1B visa programme, adding four companies that have been classified as “willful violators” of immigration rules. The updated list, effective July 1, 2026, is maintained by the department’s Wage and Hour Division and is revised periodically as enforcement actions are completed.

The designation prevents these employers from filing new H-1B petitions for a specified period, as part of the government’s efforts to ensure compliance with wage and employment requirements under the programme.

Four companies added to the debarment list

The latest update names four employers that have been barred from the H-1B programme for violating compliance requirements:

• GowraTech, LLC — debarred from May 12, 2025, to May 11, 2027

• Renotek Group LLC — debarred from August 8, 2025, to August 7, 2027

• Seeloz, Inc. — debarred from March 4, 2026, to March 3, 2028

• Sherwood at Mount Dora, Inc. (doing business as Sherwood Academy) — debarred from May 26, 2026, to May 25, 2028

During their respective debarment periods, these companies cannot submit H-1B petitions under the federal programme.

What qualifies as a “willful violator”

According to the DOL, an employer is classified as a willful violator when a violation has been established through proceedings conducted by the Department of Labor under Section 212(n)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or by the Department of Justice under Section 212(n)(5).

The finding must establish that the employer either intentionally failed to meet Labour Condition Application (LCA) requirements or provided a false or misleading material statement related to its LCA commitments. Such violations must have been recorded on or after October 21, 1998, to qualify for the designation.

Additional compliance requirements after violation

Being placed on the willful violator list carries obligations beyond the temporary ban. Employers with this designation must submit additional attestations with any LCA filed within five years of the violation finding, unless the application relates only to exempt H-1B workers.

The employer must certify that it has not displaced US workers while filing H-1B petitions. It must also confirm that it has checked whether a secondary employer intends to replace US workers before placing H-1B employees at that location.

In addition, such employers are required to demonstrate that they made genuine efforts to recruit US workers and offered positions to equally or better-qualified US applicants.

Increased scrutiny from labour authorities

Employers listed as willful violators may also face random investigations by the DOL for up to five years from the date of their designation.

The Wage and Hour Division periodically publishes the debarment list as part of its oversight of the H-1B programme, which requires employers to meet specific wage, recruitment and workplace protection standards when hiring foreign professionals.