Archive · 8 Sep 2026
US Warns EB-1 Green Cards May Run Out for Indians
The United States gives some workers green cards through a program called EB-1.
It is for highly accomplished people, certain professors and researchers, and some company managers.
Many people from India are waiting for these green cards.
The State Department says India may use all of its EB-1 visa numbers before September 30.
If that happens, the category could temporarily stop being available.
This would not permanently reject applicants’ cases.
It would mean they must wait for visa numbers to become available again.
Other categories, including EB-2 and EB-3, are already difficult for Indian applicants because of high demand and yearly limits.
The US State Department warned that India’s EB-1 visa allocation could run out before September 30 because of high demand.
EB-1 covers priority workers, including people with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers, and certain multinational executives or managers.
India’s September EB-1 final action date is October 15, 2022, while its dates-for-filing cutoff is December 1, 2023.
India’s EB-2 category is unavailable, and its EB-3 category has a lengthy backlog with a January 1, 2014 final action date.
India’s unreserved EB-5 category is also unavailable for final action in September, adding pressure to employment-based immigration queues.
- Who
- The US State Department and Indian professionals seeking employment-based green cards.
- What
- The State Department warned that India’s EB-1 visa allocation may be exhausted before the end of the fiscal year.
- When
- The warning appeared in the September Visa Bulletin, with the potential shortage occurring before September 30.
- Where
- Within the US employment-based immigration system, affecting India’s visa allocation.
- Why
- High demand, increased use of visa numbers by Indian applicants, and statutory limits on employment-based immigrant visas could exhaust India’s allocation.
- Visa category
- EB-1, the employment-based first-preference green-card category
- Affected applicants
- Indian professionals seeking EB-1 green cards
- Warning source
- The US State Department’s September Visa Bulletin
- Potential deadline
- Before September 30, the end of the US fiscal year
- India EB-1 final action date
- October 15, 2022, for September
- India EB-1 filing date
- December 1, 2023, for September
- Other affected categories
- India’s EB-2 and unreserved EB-5 categories are unavailable for final action in September; EB-3 remains heavily backlogged
