179-Year US Green Card Wait For Indians: What Is Causing The Massive Backlog?
Indian professionals face massive US green card backlogs.
Indians seeking employment-based green cards in the United States could face extraordinarily long waits, with some new applicants potentially waiting up to 179 years to reach the front of the queue, according to a recent analysis by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP). The report examined US Citizenship and Immigration Services data and highlighted the growing immigration backlog affecting foreign professionals.
The analysis focused on the employment-based EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 green card categories. It found that Indian nationals face the longest projected delays, largely because of annual visa limits, country-based restrictions and high demand for employment-based immigration among skilled professionals. Chinese nationals, meanwhile, could face waits of up to 25 years under certain categories.
US immigration law generally limits employment-based green cards to about 140,000 annually, while also restricting the number that can go to nationals of any one country. As of December 2025, nearly one million Indians were estimated to be waiting in the employment-based immigration backlog. The overall backlog across EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 stood at about 1.26 million, rising 20.6 per cent from roughly 1.05 million in April 2020.
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The report estimated that a new highly skilled Indian applicant could face a potential wait of about 179 years in the EB-2 category and 38 years in EB-3. The projected delay for EB-1 applicants was considerably shorter, at around four to five years. The backlog was largest in EB-3, which accounted for 30.1 per cent, followed by EB-2 at 22.9 per cent and EB-1 at 16.6 per cent.
NFAP noted that such prolonged waits can create significant difficulties for professionals and their families, particularly those who remain in the US for years while holding temporary H-1B status. The delays can also affect companies seeking to recruit and retain highly skilled foreign workers, particularly in fields such as science, technology and engineering.
The findings come as the administration of US President Donald Trump has pursued tougher immigration policies affecting both undocumented and legal immigrants. The administration has introduced stricter measures, visa-related changes and higher fees in some immigration categories. The combination of existing employment-based backlogs and new immigration policies has added to concerns among Indian professionals seeking long-term status in the United States.
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