Nearly one million Indians stuck in US green card backlog; EB-2 wait could stretch to 179 years
In the United States, close to one million Indians are bogged down by long-lasting green card backlogs, representing a staggering seventy-nine percent of applicants in these categories. Some Indian professionals may face wait times soaring to an unbelievable 179 years. This issue arises from annual visa caps and per-country limits, highlighting the urgent need for reforms to alleviate the…
Nearly one million Indians are currently stuck in the US employment-based green card backlog, making up approximately 79 percent of all individuals waiting in the first three employment-based immigration categories, according to a recent analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). Most Indian professionals working in the US on H-1B visas apply for permanent residence through the employment-based EB-2 or EB-3 categories.
The EB-2 category includes professionals with advanced degrees and individuals of exceptional ability, while the EB-3 category covers professionals, skilled workers, and other workers. With the backlog expanding to nearly 1.2 million people across all three categories, the situation is dire for Indian applicants, with an estimated 731,566 in the EB-2 category and 213,414 in the EB-3 category as of December 2025.
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