Indians seeking Green Card may have to wait for up to 179 years, analysis shows
Currently, 996,599 Indian professionals and dependents are stuck in a visa backlog for green card categories, with wait times potentially stretching to decades.
A new analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) suggests that Indian professionals seeking US green cards may have to endure a wait time of up to 179 years. Nearly one million Indians are currently stuck in the employment-based backlog, accounting for 79% of those waiting in line. The nationality cap disproportionately affects Indian professionals, with Chinese and Filipino professionals generally facing shorter wait times.
The analysis reveals that three green card categories - EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 - have significantly lengthened wait times for Indian professionals. In January 2026 or later, an Indian worker with a labor certification application or employment-based immigrant petition could face a potential wait time of 179 years in the EB-2 category, 38 years in the EB-3 category and just 5 years in the EB-1 category.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
