H1B

H1B Sponsors With the Most Denials in the US: Companies to Know Before You Apply (2025 Data)

By Alex 16 min read
H1B Sponsors with Most Denials

Most H1B content focuses on which companies approve the most petitions. Equally important, however, is understanding which companies have the most denials. A company’s H1B denial record tells you something a job posting will never reveal — how well their petitions are prepared, how much USCIS scrutiny they face, and what your individual risk of denial looks like if you accept their offer. This article breaks down the companies with the highest denial counts, the employers with the lowest approval rates, and how the national denial trend has shifted dramatically over the past eight years. Every number comes from official government records.

Must See: Companies With the Highest H1B Approval Rates in the US (2026 Data).

The National H1B Denial Trend: 2019 to 2026

Before examining individual companies, it is important to understand where national denial rates stand today compared to recent history. The contrast is striking:

  • 2019: 69,484 denials out of 389,352 filings | Denial rate 15.14%
  • 2020: 39,879 denials out of 426,712 filings | Denial rate 8.55%
  • 2021: 11,214 denials out of 407,038 filings | Denial rate 2.68%
  • 2022: 9,060 denials out of 442,404 filings | Denial rate 2.01%
  • 2023: 10,890 denials out of 386,331 filings | Denial rate 2.74%
  • 2024: 8,230 denials out of 399,397 filings | Denial rate 2.02%
  • 2025: 8,925 denials out of 406,335 filings | Denial rate 2.15%
  • 2026 (so far): 2,420 denials out of 81,497 filings | Denial rate 2.88%

The numbers tell a remarkable story. In 2019, nearly one in every seven H1B petitions was denied. By 2022, that rate had fallen to just one in fifty. The 2019 and 2020 spike was driven by a series of USCIS policy memos that tightened the definition of specialty occupation, raised scrutiny on IT staffing arrangements, and made it significantly harder for consulting and placement firms to get petitions approved. When those policies were reversed starting in 2021, denial rates collapsed almost immediately. Since then, the national rate has held between 2% and 3%.

The 2026 figure of 2.88% is slightly elevated compared to 2025. However, it is still early in the fiscal year, and early filings tend to include more complex cases that attract disproportionate scrutiny. The full-year 2026 rate will likely settle closer to recent averages as more routine petitions are filed and processed throughout the year.

Companies With the Most Total H1B Denials

Raw denial count tells you how many petitions a company has had rejected across its filing history. For large companies that file thousands of petitions annually, even a small denial rate generates significant absolute numbers. Here are the 30 companies with the highest total denial counts:

  • Infosys Limited: 6,803 denials | 50,833 total filings | 88.20% approval rate | Top role: IT Project Managers | Average salary $94,167
  • Tata Consultancy Services Limited: 5,070 denials | 56,369 total filings | 91.70% approval rate | Top role: Computer Systems Engineers | Average salary $89,454
  • Deloitte Consulting LLP: 4,633 denials | 27,805 total filings | 85.72% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $136,236
  • Capgemini America Inc: 2,115 denials | 23,602 total filings | 91.80% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $113,646
  • HCL America Inc: 2,080 denials | 20,708 total filings | 90.87% approval rate | Top role: Computer Programmers | Average salary $108,913
  • Wipro Limited: 1,999 denials | 18,119 total filings | 90.06% approval rate | Top role: Computer Programmers | Average salary $89,769
  • Accenture LLP: 1,535 denials | 19,605 total filings | 92.74% approval rate | Top role: Computer Systems Analysts | Average salary $124,957
  • Tech Mahindra Americas Inc: 1,279 denials | 12,311 total filings | 90.59% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $98,838
  • IBM Corporation: 902 denials | 17,714 total filings | 95.15% approval rate | Top role: Computer Systems Analysts | Average salary $120,257
  • Kforce Inc: 783 denials | 5,239 total filings | 87.00% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $112,942
  • Deloitte and Touche LLP: 724 denials | 5,864 total filings | 89.00% approval rate | Top role: Accountants and Auditors | Average salary $96,293
  • Microsoft Corporation: 676 denials | 42,878 total filings | 98.45% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $163,251
  • Amazon Development Center US Inc: 654 denials | 48,606 total filings | 98.70% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $153,030
  • Google LLC: 570 denials | 44,201 total filings | 98.73% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $174,616
  • Populus Group LLC: 529 denials | 1,975 total filings | 78.87% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $128,835
  • Larsen and Toubro Infotech Limited: 518 denials | 6,564 total filings | 92.70% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $96,793
  • Amazon.com Services LLC: 505 denials | 25,088 total filings | 98.03% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $148,941
  • IBM India Private Limited: 496 denials | 2,534 total filings | 83.63% approval rate | Top role: Computer Systems Analysts | Average salary $96,528
  • Intel Corporation: 446 denials | 18,543 total filings | 97.65% approval rate | Top role: Electronics Engineers | Average salary $120,822
  • Amazon Web Services Inc: 378 denials | 16,458 total filings | 97.75% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $146,059
  • Fractal Analytics Inc: 362 denials | 1,522 total filings | 80.79% approval rate | Top role: Operations Research Analysts | Average salary $112,904
  • Compunnel Software Group Inc: 304 denials | 8,648 total filings | 96.60% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $107,495
  • Apple Inc: 295 denials | 31,183 total filings | 99.10% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $174,747
  • Mphasis Corporation: 290 denials | 7,213 total filings | 96.13% approval rate | Top role: Computer Programmers | Average salary $115,363
  • Cisco Systems Inc: 288 denials | 13,614 total filings | 97.93% approval rate | Top role: Software Developers | Average salary $136,760
  • Cognizant Technology Solutions US Corp: 286 denials | 18,756 total filings | 98.50% approval rate | Top role: Computer Systems Engineers | Average salary $103,934
  • ZS Associates Inc: 251 denials | 1,891 total filings | 88.28% approval rate | Top role: Operations Research Analysts | Average salary $161,609
  • Virtusa Corporation: 239 denials | 4,779 total filings | 95.24% approval rate | Top role: Computer Systems Analysts | Average salary $114,146
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP: 237 denials | 3,733 total filings | 94.03% approval rate | Top role: Accountants and Auditors | Average salary $136,194

Why Raw Denial Count Is Only Part of the Story

Looking at the list above, Microsoft has 676 denials, Google has 570, and Apple has 295. At first glance, those numbers sound concerning for three of the most desirable employers in the country. In reality, however, context changes everything.

Microsoft has filed 42,878 total petitions. Its 676 denials represent a 1.55% denial rate — well below the national average. Similarly, Google’s 570 denials across 44,201 filings is a 1.27% rate. Apple’s 295 denials across 31,183 filings is a 0.90% rate. These are exceptional numbers. The only reason these companies appear on the most-denied list at all is because they file so many petitions that even a tiny percentage generates hundreds of absolute denials.

By contrast, Deloitte Consulting LLP has 4,633 denials from 27,805 filings — a 14.27% denial rate. Infosys has 6,803 denials from 50,833 filings — an 11.80% denial rate. These are companies where one in every seven to nine petitions gets denied. For an individual worker, that is a meaningfully different risk level than filing with Apple or Google.

The right way to read denial data is always rate, not raw count. Total denials without total filings tells you almost nothing useful.

Companies With the Lowest H1B Approval Rates

These are the companies where the denial rate itself is the problem — not just the total count. These employers have had more than 25% of their petitions denied, meaning at least one in four workers they tried to sponsor did not get approved:

  • Solomons International LLC: 22.50% approval rate | 93 denials out of 120 filings | 13 unique employees
  • RJT CompuQuest Inc: 24.55% approval rate | 83 denials out of 110 filings | 22 unique employees
  • Arka Technologies Inc: 25.23% approval rate | 160 denials out of 214 filings | 9 unique employees
  • Anira Solutions Inc: 28.89% approval rate | 128 denials out of 180 filings | 26 unique employees
  • Lussotech LLC: 33.33% approval rate | 116 denials out of 174 filings | 34 unique employees
  • Delta System and Software Inc: 36.72% approval rate | 81 denials out of 128 filings | 46 unique employees
  • SPLN International LLC: 37.62% approval rate | 63 denials out of 101 filings | 40 unique employees
  • Saibersys Inc: 38.66% approval rate | 146 denials out of 238 filings | 53 unique employees
  • Cloud Big Data Technologies LLC: 40.12% approval rate | 97 denials out of 162 filings | 397 unique employees
  • Scottline LLC: 41.12% approval rate | 126 denials out of 214 filings | 77 unique employees
  • Iblesoft Inc: 43.43% approval rate | 112 denials out of 198 filings | 48 unique employees
  • Big Peach IT Services LLC: 43.81% approval rate | 59 denials out of 105 filings | 29 unique employees
  • KJ Info LLC: 47.49% approval rate | 136 denials out of 259 filings | 68 unique employees
  • Sanctity International LLC: 50.26% approval rate | 94 denials out of 189 filings | 141 unique employees
  • BDSN International Inc: 51.28% approval rate | 57 denials out of 117 filings | 47 unique employees
  • Avani Systems Inc: 52.21% approval rate | 130 denials out of 272 filings | 149 unique employees
  • Classroom Support Services LLC: 52.43% approval rate | 49 denials out of 103 filings | 56 unique employees
  • Xtracit Inc: 52.66% approval rate | 89 denials out of 188 filings | 69 unique employees
  • VSLN International Inc: 52.89% approval rate | 57 denials out of 121 filings | 77 unique employees
  • Sohanit Inc: 52.94% approval rate | 56 denials out of 119 filings | 28 unique employees
  • Software Enterprise LLC: 53.95% approval rate | 99 denials out of 215 filings | 216 unique employees
  • Infobiz Systems LLC: 56.27% approval rate | 115 denials out of 263 filings | 162 unique employees
  • SRNL International Inc: 56.48% approval rate | 47 denials out of 108 filings | 51 unique employees
  • HRK Solutions LLC: 56.56% approval rate | 53 denials out of 122 filings | 46 unique employees
  • Anjaneyap Inc: 57.33% approval rate | 64 denials out of 150 filings | 28 unique employees
  • ZAI Global Inc: 58.82% approval rate | 56 denials out of 136 filings | 89 unique employees
  • Ealearn Inc: 59.60% approval rate | 101 denials out of 250 filings | 471 unique employees
  • Strategic Staffing IT Inc: 60.31% approval rate | 52 denials out of 131 filings | 69 unique employees
  • Populus Group LLC: 78.87% approval rate | 529 denials out of 1,975 filings | 1,418 unique employees
  • Fractal Analytics Inc: 80.79% approval rate | 362 denials out of 1,522 filings | 245 unique employees

What These Low Approval Rate Companies Have in Common

Looking across the lowest approval rate list, several clear patterns emerge that explain why these companies struggle with USCIS:

Pattern 1: IT Staffing and Bench Models

The majority of companies on the lowest approval rate list are small IT staffing firms that operate on a placement model. They hire workers, bench them while searching for client assignments, and then place them at client sites. USCIS has consistently denied petitions from these firms on two grounds. First, the employer-employee relationship is questioned when the worker spends most of their time at a third-party client site. Second, the specialty occupation requirement is harder to demonstrate for workers in flexible placement roles that may shift between different clients and responsibilities.

Since 2019, USCIS has specifically targeted this staffing model. The denial rate improvement from 15% nationally in 2019 to 2% by 2022 was largely driven by staffing firms getting screened out or self-selecting out of the process after facing repeated denials. The companies remaining on the lowest approval rate list are those that have continued filing despite consistent rejections.

Pattern 2: Small Companies With Limited Immigration Infrastructure

Several low-approval-rate companies on this list have under 100 unique employees in their filing history. Small companies often lack access to experienced immigration counsel, file petitions without proper documentation of specialty occupation, and fail to adequately respond to RFEs. In contrast, large employers with dedicated immigration teams and experienced attorneys consistently achieve approval rates above 95%.

Pattern 3: Repeated Filing Patterns Suggesting Structural Issues

Companies like Solomons International, Arka Technologies, and Anira Solutions have filed repeatedly despite denial rates above 70%. This pattern suggests either a business model that depends on attempting H1B sponsorship at scale despite low odds, or inadequate awareness of why petitions are being denied. Either way, the pattern is a significant red flag for workers considering accepting an offer from these firms.

The Big Names: Why Microsoft, Google, and Apple Are on the Denial List

As noted earlier, the presence of Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon, and Intel on the highest total denial list deserves specific explanation because it is frequently misunderstood.

These companies appear because they file enormous volumes of petitions. Microsoft’s 676 denials from 42,878 filings is a 1.55% denial rate. Google’s 570 from 44,201 is 1.27%. Apple’s 295 from 31,183 is 0.94%. In practical terms, if these companies file your petition, there is approximately a 1% chance of denial. For context, the national average denial rate is 2.15%. These companies are actually performing better than the national average despite their large absolute denial numbers.

Furthermore, denials at large tech companies often occur for specific, addressable reasons — a technicality in the petition, a minor documentation gap, or an RFE that was not fully responded to. These are not structural problems with the employer’s H1B program. They are isolated cases in an otherwise highly functional process.

The distinction matters enormously. A 1.5% denial rate at Microsoft is a fundamentally different risk from a 14% denial rate at Deloitte Consulting or a 78% denial rate at Populus Group.

The Large Consulting Firms: A Middle Category Worth Understanding

Between the well-run tech companies and the problematic small staffing firms sits a category that deserves its own analysis: the large consulting and IT services firms.

Deloitte Consulting LLP has a 14.27% denial rate. Infosys has an 11.80% rate. Wipro has a 9.94% rate. Kforce has a 13% rate. These are not small or poorly resourced companies. They have large legal teams and significant immigration budgets. Their denial rates reflect something structural rather than a preparation problem.

Specifically, USCIS has consistently questioned whether roles at large consulting firms — where workers are often placed at client sites and may perform different tasks across different engagements — meet the specialty occupation standard. The regulations require that an H1B role be in a specialty occupation requiring a specific, direct relationship between the role and a particular degree. When a consultant moves between clients and projects, that specificity becomes harder to demonstrate.

Additionally, the employer-employee relationship requirement becomes complicated when the actual day-to-day direction of the worker’s activities comes from the client rather than the H1B petitioner. USCIS has issued guidance on this issue multiple times, and large consulting firms continue to face a higher denial rate as a result.

For workers evaluating offers from consulting firms, this means accepting that the denial risk is meaningfully higher than at a product company. It does not mean the firm cannot get you approved. However, it does mean you are accepting more uncertainty in your immigration outcome than you would with a direct employer.

Key Insights From the Denial Data

  • The 2019 era was the worst in modern H1B history: A 15.14% national denial rate in 2019 meant one in seven petitions was rejected. That environment no longer exists. The current 2% to 3% range is dramatically better for workers seeking sponsorship.
  • Infosys has the most total denials of any company: With 6,803 denials, Infosys leads all companies in absolute rejection volume. Combined with its 11.80% effective denial rate, it carries significantly higher individual risk than any of the major tech companies on the same list.
  • Deloitte Consulting’s denial rate is the most concerning among large firms: At 14.27%, nearly one in seven Deloitte Consulting petitions has been denied. This is the highest denial rate among well-known large employers. Deloitte and Touche LLP, a separate entity, has an 11% denial rate. Together, the Deloitte family of entities has accumulated over 5,300 denials historically.
  • Populus Group is an outlier among mid-size firms: With a 78.87% approval rate across nearly 2,000 filings, Populus Group’s denial rate of over 21% is strikingly high for a firm of its size. This suggests persistent structural problems with how its petitions are filed or how its employment arrangements are structured.
  • Fractal Analytics stands out among data firms: With an 80.79% approval rate and 362 denials from 1,522 filings, Fractal Analytics has a 19.21% denial rate. For a company focused on analytics and data science roles that should clearly qualify as specialty occupations, this elevated denial rate warrants scrutiny before accepting an offer.
  • Small staffing firms with denial rates above 50% represent the highest individual risk: Solomons International at 22.50% approval, Arka Technologies at 25.23%, and Anira Solutions at 28.89% are approving fewer than one in three petitions. Accepting a job offer from a company with these numbers means your petition has a very high probability of rejection before the process even begins.
  • IBM India Private Limited is a separate concern from IBM Corporation: IBM Corporation has a 95.15% approval rate. IBM India Private Limited, however, has an 83.63% approval rate with 496 denials from 2,534 filings. If you receive an offer from an IBM entity, clarifying which legal entity will file your petition is worth doing explicitly.

How to Use This Data Before Accepting a Job Offer

The practical use of denial data is straightforward. Before you accept any offer that involves H1B sponsorship, look up the specific legal entity that will file your petition. Company trade names and legal filing entities often differ. Ask HR directly which entity files H1B petitions on behalf of employees in your role.

Then compare two numbers together: the total filings and the denial rate. A company with 50,000 filings and a 2% denial rate is a very different risk profile from a company with 500 filings and a 20% denial rate. The absolute number of denials means very little without the rate behind it.

Additionally, timing matters. A company that had high denial rates in 2019 and 2020 but has cleaned up its petition process since then may look concerning in historical data but be perfectly reliable today. Ask HR how their approval rates have changed in recent years. Companies that have invested in improving their immigration processes will typically know this data.

Finally, consider what happens if your petition is denied. Does the company have a clear process for responding to RFEs? Will they cover the cost of premium processing to reduce uncertainty? Will they refile if the first petition is denied? A company that has strong answers to these questions demonstrates that it takes H1B sponsorship seriously as an employer obligation rather than a one-time administrative task.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which company has the most H1B denials?

Infosys Limited leads all companies with 6,803 total H1B denials from 50,833 filings, representing an 11.80% denial rate. Tata Consultancy Services follows with 5,070 denials, and Deloitte Consulting LLP has 4,633 denials.

Does a high denial count mean I should avoid a company?

Not necessarily. Raw denial count must always be read alongside the total filing volume and the resulting denial rate. Microsoft has 676 denials but a 1.55% denial rate across 42,878 filings. That is below the national average and represents a well-run immigration program. By contrast, a smaller company with 500 filings and a 20% denial rate represents significantly higher individual risk despite having fewer absolute denials.

What is the national H1B denial rate in 2025?

The national H1B denial rate in fiscal year 2025 is 2.15%, based on 8,925 denials from 406,335 total filings. This is near historical lows, compared to a peak of 15.14% in 2019.

Why do large IT services firms have higher denial rates?

USCIS has consistently scrutinized IT staffing and consulting arrangements where workers are placed at client sites, because these models create questions about employer-employee relationships and specialty occupation eligibility. Large firms like Infosys, Wipro, and TCS continue to face this scrutiny despite their size and resources, resulting in structurally higher denial rates compared to in-house product companies.

Is it safe to accept an H1B offer from a company with a high denial rate?

Higher denial rates mean higher individual risk, but they do not guarantee denial. A company with a 10% denial rate still approves 90% of its petitions. The question is whether you are comfortable with that level of uncertainty compared to a company with a 99% approval rate. Additionally, factors specific to your case, such as your educational background, the clarity of the specialty occupation requirement for your role, and the quality of the petition preparation, can influence your individual outcome regardless of the company’s overall rate.

What should I ask an employer about their H1B denial history?

Ask which legal entity will file your petition, what their approval rate has been in the past two to three years specifically, whether they use experienced immigration counsel, what their process is for responding to RFEs, and whether they offer premium processing. A company that handles these questions with specific, confident answers is demonstrating that it takes sponsorship seriously. Vague or dismissive answers to these questions are a meaningful warning sign.

Final Thoughts

Denial data is one of the most powerful tools available to H1B job seekers, and it is almost entirely ignored. Most candidates evaluate employers on salary, culture, and growth opportunity. Very few ask about denial rates before signing an offer. The data in this article makes the case for why that question matters.

National denial rates are at historically low levels right now. That is genuinely good news. Nevertheless, the gap between a 1% denial rate at Apple and a 14% denial rate at Deloitte Consulting is enormous when it is your individual petition on the line. Use this data to ask better questions, evaluate offers more completely, and go into the sponsorship process with a clear understanding of what your actual approval odds look like with each employer you are considering.

Data source: USCIS H1B petition records and Labor Condition Application filings from official government databases. All denial figures reflect cumulative historical data through fiscal year 2025. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.