Over 1 million Indians await green card in the US

Green card backlog projected to reach almost 22 lakh by 2030, requiring 195 years to clear

Updated: Apr 16th, 2024


The Indian diaspora, being the largest migrant community in the US, comprises approximately 4.9 million US residents who were either born in India or reported Indian ancestry or origin, according to the MPI tabulation of data from the US Census Bureau’s 2019 ACS.

A Forbes report on Apr 14 claimed that more than 1 million (10 lakh) Indians living in the US are waiting to get a green card, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

More than 1.2 million (12 lakh) Indians, along with their dependents, are in line across the first, second, and third employment-based green card categories, revealed a National Foundation for American Policy analysis of USCIS data.

This data is based on approved I-140 immigrant petitions as of Nov 2, 2023.

Green card categories

The EB-1 category is the priority for Indians with fields such as professor, researcher, and manager. A total of 1,43,497 Indians are waiting for this green card under this category.

After that comes the EB-2 category, which is the priority for Indians in fields such as science, the arts, and business. Under this category, a total of 8,38,784 Indians are in queue to receive the green card.

The third preference (EB-3) includes skilled workers and professionals whose jobs require a bachelor’s degree. In the EB-3 category, 1,38,581 Indians are awaiting their green card.

Without Congressional intervention, the backlog is estimated to persist and grow. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS) in 2020, the backlog for individuals of Indian descent in the top three employment-based green card categories is projected to swell to 21,95,795 by FY 2030, requiring 195 years to clear.

Reasons for the long wait green card wait

The per-country limit has most harmed highly skilled professionals from India, China, and the Philippines due to their larger populations, according to Forbes.

Long green card wait times for employment-based immigrants stem from two key US laws. In 1990, Congress set the annual limit for employment-based green cards at 1,40,000, insufficient to meet the rising demand for technical talent fueled by technological advancements. 

As per Forbes, Indians have suffered more from this law, as the per-country limit for Indian immigrants in the EB category in 2015 was only 7,820.

A green card means a person is a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Green cards are issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to foreign nationals.

Can Indians with green cards vote in the US elections 2024?

According to the official website of the US government, non-citizens, including permanent legal residents, cannot vote in federal, state, and most local elections.

Also read:

Visa fees increased for H-1B, other US non-immigrant visa

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