US bars these 5 companies from H-1B program: What happens to existing workers and their Green Cards? | Hindustan Times

The US Department of Labor has barred five employers from participating in the H-1B visa program after violations of federal rules, raising questions for foreign workers whose current jobs, future H-1B filings or employment-based Green-Card plans depend on those companies.The action comes as the Trump administration steps up scrutiny of H-1B employers, particularly companies accused of misusing the program.The US Department of Labor’s official H-1B debarment list lists these five employers as debarred or disqualified as of September 1, 2026.GowraTech LLC: May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2027Renotek Group LLC: August 8, 2025 to August 7, 2027Seeloz Inc.: March 4, 2026 to March 3, 2028Sherwood at Mount Dora Inc., doing business as Sherwood Academy: May 26, 2026 to May 25, 2028Da Vinci at Hunters Creek Inc., doing business as Da Vinci Academy: August 3, 2026 to August 2, 2028 ALSO READ: Laid off on H-1B? Trump plan could force workers to leave US immediately; how Indians could be affected What happens to existing H-1B workers?A company being debarred from the H-1B program does not automatically mean that every existing H-1B worker loses status or must leave the US.The restriction is aimed at the employer’s participation in the program. The bigger concern comes when an employee needs a new H-1B petition, an extension or another immigration filing that requires the employer to remain eligible.For workers who can find another sponsor, USCIS H-1B portability rules can provide a route to change employers. USCIS says eligible H-1B workers may generally begin employment with a new employer once that employer properly files a qualifying H-1B petition, subject to the requirements of the portability provisions. What about Green-Card sponsorship?The consequences can be more complicated for workers pursuing an employment-based Green Card through a debarred company.An employer’s H-1B debarment does not automatically invalidate the visas of H-1B workers already employed by the company, according to Department of Labor guidance. However, the agency says no H-1B extensions will be granted during the debarment period. ALSO READ: New $4,000 H-1B biometric fee is now in effect: Why the change matters for thousands of Indian workersFor workers pursuing employment-based green cards, the consequences depend on the stage of the individual case and the immigration filings involved; the DOL guidance does not state that a debarment automatically ends a worker’s green-card process.Debarment is not the same as a willful-violator listingThe DOL maintains separate information on H-1B debarred or disqualified employers and employers identified as willful violators. The lists should not be treated as interchangeable.The immediate issue for the five companies above is their active debarment from participating in the H-1B program. For H-1B workers, the key question is what happens when their current approval expires or another employer-sponsored filing becomes necessary.