An Indian skilled who applies for a US green card immediately may face a wait of up to 179 years in some classes, in response to a brand new evaluation by the Nationwide Basis for American Coverage (NFAP). Practically a million Indians are already caught within the employment-based backlog, making up 79% of everybody ready in line. Nationality-based inexperienced card caps disproportionately affect Indian professionals, NFAP’s evaluation finds, with professionals from China and the Philippines usually going through shorter wait occasions.
At current, Indian professionals can apply for an employment-based inexperienced card by way of three completely different classes. EB-1 – the primary desire – is granted to people with extraordinary skills within the sciences, enterprise, arts or sports activities. The second desire, often known as EB-2, is granted to employees with superior levels whereas EB-3 visas apply to these with bachelor’s levels and different expert employees. Roughly 140,000 inexperienced playing cards can be found yearly, with not more than 7% of the overall going to nationals of anybody nation. There are two additional classes: EB-4 visas for “particular immigrants” equivalent to non secular employees and EB-5 visas for buyers.
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The nationality cap has considerably lengthened wait occasions for Indian professionals in America hoping for a inexperienced card, which grants everlasting residency standing. At current, 996,599 Indian professionals and their dependents are caught in a visa backlog for the three inexperienced card classes with wait-times doubtlessly stretching to many years.
“In line with a Nationwide Basis for American Coverage evaluation, a high-skilled overseas nationwide from India with a labor certification utility or an employment-based immigrant petition filed in January 2026 or later has a possible wait time for a inexperienced card (everlasting residence) of 179 years within the employment-based second desire (EB-2), 38 years within the employment-based third desire (EB-3) and 5 years within the employment-based first desire (EB-1),” in response to the NFAP’s August coverage transient.
Professionals from China face shorter however nonetheless important wait occasions. Whereas Indian and Chinese language employees face comparable wait occasions for EB-1 inexperienced playing cards, the latter should wait 25 years within the EB-2 class and seven years within the EB-3 class.
The backlog in inexperienced card functions for Indian professionals stretches again a minimum of a decade.
“In FY 2016, USCIS authorized 47,601 functions within the employment-based second desire (EB-2) for Indians, which interprets into an estimated 98,594 individuals as soon as dependents are included, in response to NFAP calculations, however solely 4,407 individuals from India have been granted everlasting residence within the EB-2 class in FY 2016. In different phrases, in FY 2016 alone, over 90,000 individuals (principals and dependents) have been doubtless added to the backlog. The sample holds in 2017 and 2018,” reads NFAP’s evaluation.
Pandemic-era consulate closures triggered a shortfall in family-based visas, and below US regulation these unused numbers rolled over into the employment classes. This added roughly 280,000 additional inexperienced playing cards between FY 2020 and FY 2024. Even with this enhance, the employment-based inexperienced card backlog grew by 20.6% over 5 years. NFPA’s evaluation argues that these backlogs have made it more durable for American corporations to draw and retain prime Indian expertise to reside and work in the US.
