2 weeks ago

EB-2 exhausted, EB-1 could close for Indian green card applicants

EB-2 exhausted, EB-1 could close for Indian green card applicants
EB-2 unavailable, EB-1 may be next: What Indian professionals should know before October 1 · financialexpress.com

A green card is a card that lets people live and work in the United States for a long time.

The US only gives out a certain number of green cards every year.

When all those cards are handed out, people call that category 'unavailable.'

Many people from India want US green cards, and more people want them than there are cards.

This year, the US already used up all the cards in a group called EB-2 for Indian people.

Another group, called EB-1, might run out of cards too before October.

October 1 is when the US gets a fresh batch of visa numbers for the new year.

But a fresh batch does not fix the long line of people already waiting.

People who are ready are being told to submit their paperwork as soon as they can.

Everyone else should keep their visa status valid and keep waiting patiently.

Key facts

EB-2 India status
Unavailable for FY 2026 after the quota was exhausted, as announced in May
EB-1 India status
Available but under pressure; may become unavailable before September 30
FY 2026 end date
September 30, 2026
FY 2027 start date
October 1, 2026, when annual visa numbers reset
EB-1 eligibility
Priority workers: extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, multinational executives and managers
EB-2 eligibility
Professionals with advanced degrees and people with exceptional ability
EB-1A requirement
Self-petition route generally requiring 3 of 10 criteria, such as published articles, patents, or judging others' work
Key advice
File I-485 before September 30 if the priority date is current; otherwise maintain valid status and monitor the queue

Quotes

Sai Srinivas Reddy Bhumireddy

US immigration attorney

““Given the high demand and number use specifically flagged for India in this category, I’d treat this as a likely outcome rather than just a precautionary note,” he said.”
financialexpress.com
““Unavailable is a complete stop, while retrogression is a temporary step back,” the attorney said.”
financialexpress.com

Sources

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