Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Indian Green-Card Queues Worsen as EB-1 Faces Shutdown
Many Indians waiting for U.S. work-based green cards may have to wait even longer.
The government says the EB-1 category could run out of visas for Indians within weeks.
EB-2 visas for Indians are already unavailable this month.
EB-3 is still processing applications with priority dates from January 1, 2014.
India’s regular EB-5 investor category is also unavailable.
Some special EB-5 categories are still open for everyone.
These limits exist because the United States has a fixed number of employment-based visas and country limits.
The State Department will keep watching demand until the fiscal year ends on September 30.
The United States warned that EB-1 visas for Indians could become unavailable within weeks if the annual allocation is exhausted.
India’s EB-2 category is already unavailable for September, while EB-3’s final-action date remains January 1, 2014.
India’s unreserved EB-5 category is also unavailable, although EB-5 set-aside categories remain current for all countries.
For September, India’s EB-1 final-action date is October 15, 2022; its filing date is December 1, 2023.
The State Department cited strong demand, the worldwide employment-based limit of 186,317 for fiscal 2026, and statutory per-country limits.
- Who
- Indian applicants seeking U.S. employment-based green cards, the U.S. State Department, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
- What
- The State Department warned that India’s EB-1 category could become unavailable, while EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 are already unavailable for September and EB-3 remains heavily backlogged.
- When
- The warning appeared in the September Visa Bulletin, with the fiscal year ending September 30.
- Where
- The United States, affecting visa applicants chargeable to India.
- Why
- High demand, annual employment-based visa limits, and statutory per-country ceilings have constrained the number of visas available to Indian applicants.
- EB-1 India final-action date
- October 15, 2022
- EB-1 India filing date
- December 1, 2023
- EB-2 India status
- Unavailable for September
- EB-3 India final-action date
- January 1, 2014
- EB-5 India status
- Unreserved category unavailable for final action in September
- Fiscal 2026 worldwide employment-based limit
- 186,317 visas
- Fiscal-year end
- September 30