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.

An Indian professional who applies for a US green card today could face a wait of up to 179 years in some categories, according to a new analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). Nearly one million Indians are already stuck in the employment-based backlog, making up 79% of everyone waiting in line. Nationality-based green card caps disproportionately impact Indian professionals, NFAP’s analysis finds, with professionals from China and the Philippines generally facing shorter wait times.

The nationality cap has significantly lengthened wait times for Indian professionals in America hoping for a green card, which grants permanent residency status. (Representational/File Photo)

At present, Indian professionals can apply for an employment-based green card through three different categories. EB-1 - the first preference - is granted to individuals with extraordinary abilities in the sciences, business, arts or sports. The second preference, known as EB-2, is granted to workers with advanced degrees while EB-3 visas apply to those with bachelor’s degrees and other skilled workers. Roughly 140,000 green cards are available annually, with no more than 7% of the total going to nationals of any one country. There are two further categories: EB-4 visas for “special immigrants” such as religious workers and EB-5 visas for investors.

“According to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis, a high-skilled foreign national from India with a labor certification application or an employment-based immigrant petition filed in January 2026 or later has a potential wait time for a green card (permanent residence) of 179 years in the employment-based second preference (EB-2), 38 years in the employment-based third preference (EB-3) and 5 years in the employment-based first preference (EB-1),” according to the NFAP’s August policy brief.

Professionals from China face shorter but still significant wait times. While Indian and Chinese workers face similar wait times for EB-1 green cards, the latter must wait 25 years in the EB-2 category and 7 years in the EB-3 category.

The backlog in green card applications for Indian professionals stretches back at least a decade.

“In FY 2016, USCIS approved 47,601 applications in the employment-based second preference (EB-2) for Indians, which translates into an estimated 98,594 people once dependents are included, according to NFAP calculations, but only 4,407 people from India were granted permanent residence in the EB-2 category in FY 2016. In other words, in FY 2016 alone, over 90,000 people (principals and dependents) were likely added to the backlog. The pattern holds in 2017 and 2018,” reads NFAP’s analysis.

Pandemic-era consulate closures caused a shortfall in family-based visas, and under US law those unused numbers rolled over into the employment categories. This added roughly 280,000 extra green cards between FY 2020 and FY 2024. Even with this increase, the employment-based green card backlog grew by 20.6% over five years. NFPA’s analysis argues that these backlogs have made it harder for American companies to attract and retain top Indian talent to live and work in the United States.