Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Indian Applicants Face 179-Year U.S. Green Card Wait
Many Indian workers want to become permanent residents of the United States.
They usually need an employment-based visa, such as EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3.
A study said some Indian EB-2 applicants could wait as long as 179 years for a green card.
The estimated waits were 38 years for EB-3 and five years for EB-1.
Applicants from China and the Philippines generally face shorter waits in these categories.
The United States gives out only 140,000 employment-based green cards each year.
This number also includes family members, so fewer spaces may be available for workers.
A rule also limits how many green cards can go to people from one country.
The study said these delays make life harder for families and make it more difficult for companies to keep skilled workers.
A National Foundation for American Policy study estimated that an Indian applicant filing an EB-2 petition in January 2026 could face a 179-year wait for a green card.
The study estimated Indian waits of 38 years for EB-3 and five years for EB-1, compared with shorter waits for applicants from China and the Philippines.
As of December 2025, 731,566 Indian EB-2 applications, 213,414 EB-3 applications and 51,619 EB-1 applications were reportedly pending.
The National Foundation for American Policy attributed the backlog partly to the 140,000 annual employment-based immigration cap, which includes dependents.
It also cited the seven-percent per-country limit, saying long waits can harm companies and create hardships for applicants and their families.
- Who
- Indian employment-based immigration applicants, particularly those in the EB-1, EB-2 and EB-3 categories.
- What
- A study estimated extremely long waits for Indian applicants seeking U.S. employment-based green cards.
- When
- The figures refer mainly to applications and backlogs as of December 2025, with one estimate based on a petition filed in January 2026.
- Where
- The immigration process concerns the United States; the report was datelined Hyderabad.
- Why
- The National Foundation for American Policy cited the annual employment-based visa cap and the seven-percent per-country limit as major causes of the backlog.
- Estimated Indian EB-2 wait
- Up to 179 years for an applicant filing in January 2026
- Estimated Indian EB-3 wait
- 38 years
- Estimated Indian EB-1 wait
- Five years
- Indian applications pending
- 731,566 EB-2, 213,414 EB-3 and 51,619 EB-1 applications as of December 2025
- Indian applications approved in 2025
- 36,069 EB-2, 9,993 EB-3 and 8,345 EB-1 applications
- Annual employment-based limit
- 140,000 permanent-residency issuances, including principal applicants and dependents
- Per-country limit
- Applicants from one country generally cannot receive more than seven percent of available immigrant visas