Wait Times Increase for Indian Citizens in US Green Card Applications
A new study shows that Indian professionals applying for employment-based green cards in the US could face waiting times exceeding a century due to backlogs and country caps.
A report prepared by the National Foundation for American Policy revealed that Indian applicants wanting to obtain an employment-based green card in the United States could face waiting times of up to 179 years due to visa backlogs and legal limitations.
Details of the Research Report
The National Foundation for American Policy analyzed backlogs in employment-based categories by examining U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data. As a result of this analysis, potential waiting times that Indian and Chinese professionals wanting to work in the US would face were calculated.
Waiting Times by Category
When examining the backlogs in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories, it was observed that the longest delays for Indian citizens occurred in the EB-2 category. It was stated that a newly applying Indian employee could wait up to 179 years in this category.
Visa Quotas and Backlogs
According to US immigration laws, approximately 140,000 employment-based green cards are issued each year, and an annual seven percent limit is imposed on any single country. As of December 2025, approximately one million people from India are waiting in this queue.
Impact of Immigration Policies
The strict immigration and deportation policies pursued by President Donald Trump during his second term, along with visa cancellations, made the processes even more difficult. This situation puts pressure on foreign scientists and engineers in America.