Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Indian Backlog Nears One Million, EB-2 Waits Reach 179 Years
Many Indian workers are waiting for permission to live permanently in the United States.
A research group says almost one million Indians are in the employment-based green card line.
Most are in categories for people with advanced degrees, skilled jobs, or professional experience.
Some new applicants could theoretically wait 179 years in the EB-2 category.
The estimate is based on today’s rules and could change if laws or visa availability change.
The United States limits the number of employment-based green cards each year.
It also limits how many can go to people from one country.
Researchers say these limits and slow paperwork have made the line grow.
They say Congress may need to change the law to significantly reduce the backlog.
NFAP estimates that 996,599 Indians made up about 79% of the 1,264,495-person employment-based backlog in the first three categories as of December 2025.
The Indian backlog included 731,566 EB-2 applicants, 213,414 EB-3 applicants, and 51,619 EB-1 applicants.
NFAP projects potential waits of 179 years for new Indian EB-2 filings and 38 years for EB-3 filings, while EB-1 waits are estimated at four to five years.
The backlog has grown despite roughly 980,460 employment-based green cards being issued between fiscal years 2020 and 2024, including rollover visas.
NFAP attributes the crisis to the 140,000 annual employment-based visa limit, the 7% per-country cap, lengthy PERM processing, and rising demand.
- Who
- Indian employment-based green card applicants, especially those in the EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 categories.
- What
- A National Foundation for American Policy analysis estimates a nearly one-million-person Indian backlog and potential waits of up to 179 years for new EB-2 applicants.
- When
- The backlog figures are from December 2025; the projections apply to filings made in January 2026 or later, with one report published August 28, 2026.
- Where
- The backlog concerns employment-based immigration to the United States.
- Why
- The articles cite statutory visa limits, the 7% per-country cap, high demand from India, and lengthy labor-certification processing.
Reform advocates
Current-law and restriction concerns
How to reduce the backlog
Reform advocates
NFAP argues that administrative streamlining is insufficient and that Congress should expand visa numbers and remove per-country caps.
Current-law and restriction concerns
Other legislative efforts mentioned in the coverage include proposals to suspend H-1B visas for three years or end H-1B as a route to a green card.
Effect on employers and workers
Reform advocates
NFAP Executive Director Stuart Anderson says long waits harm families and make it harder for companies to attract and retain talent in the United States.
Current-law and restriction concerns
A proposed wage rule could raise required salaries for H-1B holders and employment-based green card applicants, with the article warning that this may price some high-skilled foreign nationals out of the U.S. labor market.
- Indian backlog
- 996,599 people across EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3, according to the NFAP figures cited by two articles.
- Share of total queue
- About 79% of the 1,264,495-person backlog in the first three employment-based categories.
- Largest Indian category
- EB-2, with 731,566 applicants as of December 2025.
- Projected EB-2 wait
- 179 years for an Indian employment-based petition or labor certification filed in January 2026 or later.
- Projected EB-3 wait
- 38 years for new Indian EB-3 filings.
- Annual employment-based limit
- 140,000 immigrant visas, a statutory cap set in 1990 and shared by principal applicants and dependents.
- Projected national backlog
- NFAP says the overall employment-based queue could exceed two million by 2040 without legal changes.
- Reported discrepancy
- One News18 article reports 998,599 Indian applicants, while the other articles cite 996,599.
