Companies with the Most H1B Denials 2026

Based on USCIS H1B Employer Data Hub records, the companies with the highest raw H1B denial counts are typically large IT staffing and consulting firms — such as Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro, and Cognizant — because they file thousands of petitions each year. Even at a 1–2% denial rate, filing 10,000 petitions produces 100–200 denials. In FY2024, Cognizant had 2,837 approved initial H1B petitions, Infosys had 2,504, and TCS had 1,452. The denial rate — not the raw count — is the more meaningful measure of true approval risk for any individual applicant.

The H1B denial rate was approximately 2–4% in FY2024. In FY2025, USCIS adjudicated 415,275 H1B petitions, approving 406,349 and denying 8,926 — a denial rate of about 2.1% and an approval rate of 97.9%. New employment petitions had a 97% approval rate; extensions and continuations were approved at 98%. These rates are close to historic lows. By comparison, denial rates peaked at 24% in FY2018 under restrictive Trump-era USCIS policy memos, and dropped below 3% under the Biden administration.

The most common reason for H1B denials is failure to establish a specialty occupation — USCIS requires the role to need at least a bachelor's degree in a specific, directly related field. Vague job descriptions or roles that accept degrees from unrelated fields are routinely denied or sent an RFE. The second most common reason is insufficient employer-employee relationship, especially when the worker is placed at a third-party client site (common with staffing firms). Other reasons include wage level mismatches on the Labor Condition Application, inadequate documentation of the beneficiary's credentials, and missing or incorrect filing fees. In FY2019, the RFE rate reached 40% — meaning nearly half of all petitions required additional evidence before a decision was made.

No — larger companies consistently have lower denial rates. According to NFAP analysis of USCIS FY2024 data, employers that filed 101 or more H1B petitions had a denial rate of only 1.0%. Employers filing 21–100 petitions had a 2.2% rate, and those filing 1–8 petitions had rates of 3.3–3.6%. Large companies typically employ dedicated immigration counsel, have structured petitioning processes, and file for well-documented specialty roles — all of which reduce denials. The high raw denial counts seen at large firms are a function of volume, not risk.

Initial denials are H1B petitions rejected for new employment — covering first-time H1B workers or employees changing employers (also called H1B transfers). Continuing denials are extension petitions rejected for workers already on H1B status who are renewing with the same employer. Continuing denials are generally rarer, but they spiked dramatically between FY2017 and FY2020 due to a USCIS policy memo that removed deference to previously approved petitions — meaning even a long-tenured H1B worker could be denied on renewal. That policy was later rescinded. In FY2025, both initial and continuing petitions were approved at 97–98%.

IT staffing and consulting firms — particularly those placing workers at third-party client sites — historically have the highest H1B denial rates. This is because USCIS applies strict scrutiny to the employer-employee relationship when the petitioning company is not the actual worksite employer. In contrast, direct-hire technology companies, financial services firms, healthcare organizations, and universities tend to have very low denial rates. In FY2024, approximately 49.1% of approved new H1B petitions were in professional, scientific, and technical services — the industry with the strongest approval track record.

First, look at the denial rate percentage alongside the raw denial count. A 15% denial rate on 20 petitions is far more concerning than a 2% rate on 5,000 petitions. Second, review the year-by-year trend — high denials in FY2017–2020 often reflect now-rescinded USCIS policies rather than ongoing risk. Third, examine whether your specific role is in a well-documented specialty occupation with a clear degree requirement. Consulting an experienced immigration attorney before your employer files is the most effective way to reduce denial risk regardless of the company's overall track record.

Yes. After a denial, the employer has several options: file a Motion to Reopen (asking the same office to reconsider based on new facts), file a Motion to Reconsider (arguing the decision was legally incorrect), or appeal to USCIS's Administrative Appeals Office (AAO) using Form I-290B. Alternatively, the employer can file a brand-new I-129 petition — often the fastest path if the denial was based on correctable documentation issues. There is no rule preventing an immediate refile. Premium Processing (currently $2,805) guarantees a response within 15 business days and is frequently used to expedite refiled petitions.

No — they are entirely different datasets from different agencies. LCA (Labor Condition Application) data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor and represents the wage and working condition certification step before the visa petition is filed. LCA denial rates are very low — under 1% — because DOL mainly checks wage compliance. USCIS H1B petition denials happen at the next stage, where adjudicators evaluate whether the role qualifies as a specialty occupation and whether all petition requirements are met. The USCIS data shown on this page is the meaningful measure of actual visa denial risk.

The USCIS H1B Employer Data Hub publishes updated employer-level petition data annually, typically several months after each fiscal year ends on September 30. For example, FY2024 data (October 2023 – September 2024) was released in late 2024. Our database is refreshed each time USCIS publishes new data. Quarterly snapshots are sometimes available from USCIS for partial-year tracking, but employer-level breakdowns are annual only.