U.S. Green Card Crisis: Indian Applicants Face 179-Year Wait Amid Massive Backlog

A stark warning for hundreds of thousands of Indian professionals in the U.S. who are facing an extraordinary wait time of up to nearly two centuries for permanent residency." "A new study by the National Foundation for American Policy shows that advanced-degree Indian applicants in the EB-2 visa category face wait times up to 179 years. Indian workers now represent almost 80 percent of the total U.S. employment-based green card backlog.

The escalating crisis prompted U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer to renew urgent demands on Congress to scrap per-country employment visa caps. Compounding the delays, a separate Congressional investigation reveals that recent administrative fee hikes and heightened employer compliance checks have contributed to a 43 percent overall jump in USCIS processing backlogs." "With fiscal year 2027 visa numbers resetting this month, advocacy groups warn that without immediate statutory reform, top technical talent will be squeezed out of the country."