H-1B visa: US updates list of employers barred from program; 4 companies named as willful violators

The US Department of Labor (DOL) has updated its list of employers barred from participating in the H-1B visa program, naming four companies as "willful violators" of H-1B rules. The revised list, effective July 1, 2026, is maintained by the department's Wage and Hour Division and identifies employers that have been debarred from the H-1B program for a fixed period.

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Companies on the list are temporarily prohibited from filing H-1B petitions during their debarment period.

Which employers are on the updated H-1B debarment list?

According to the latest update, the following employers have been designated as willful violators:

• EmployerDebarment period
• GowraTech, LLCMay 12, 2025 – May 11, 2027
• Renotek Group LLCAugust 8, 2025 – August 7, 2027
• Seeloz, Inc.March 4, 2026 – March 3, 2028
• Sherwood at Mount Dora, Inc. dba Sherwood AcademyMay 26, 2026 – May 25, 2028

What is a "willful violator" employer?

According to the US Department of Labor, a "willful violator" or "willful violator employer" is one that meets all of the following conditions:

A finding of violation is entered in either:

• a Department of Labor proceeding under Section 212(n)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), or
• a Department of Justice proceeding under Section 212(n)(5) of the INA.

The agency finds the employer committed either:

• a willful failure to comply with Labor Condition Application (LCA) requirements, or
• a misrepresentation of a material fact related to the LCA attestations.
  

The finding was entered on or after October 21, 1998.

What happens after an employer is designated a willful violator?

A willful violator must comply with additional attestations for any Labor Condition Application (LCA) it files within five years of the violation finding, unless the LCA is used exclusively for exempt H-1B workers.

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Willful violators and H-1B-dependent employers filing an LCA must also certify that:

• They have not displaced a US worker when filing an H-1B petition.
• Before placing an H-1B worker at a secondary employer's worksite, they have inquired whether that employer intends to displace a US worker.
• They have made good-faith efforts to recruit US workers.
  They have offered the position to any equally or better-qualified US worker who applied.

Additional scrutiny by the Department of Labor

The Department of Labor says employers designated as willful violators may be subject to random investigations for up to five years from the date they are determined to be willful violators. The Wage and Hour Division maintains and periodically updates the public list of such employers.