Indian nationals seeking a US employment-based green card could face a wait of up to 179 years, according to an analysis of US immigration data. For Chinese
nationals, the estimated wait could be about 25 years. The extraordinary delays are linked to a backlog of about 1.26 million people seeking employment-based green cards, according to a report by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), which analysed data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Employment-based green cards allow skilled foreign workers to obtain permanent residence in the United States. Why Are the Waits So Long? US immigration law limits the number of employment-based green cards issued each year to about 140,000. There is also a per-country limit, with no more than 7% of employment-based green cards generally available to nationals of any one country in a given year. As demand has grown, people born in countries with high numbers of applicants have faced increasingly long waits. The NFAP estimates are based on pending applications for permanent residency. The overall backlog increased from about 1.05 million in April 2020 to 1.26 million in December 2025. The EB-2 category, for people with advanced degrees or "exceptional ability", accounted for the largest share of the backlog, rising from about 684,000 cases in April 2020 to 841,000 in December 2025. The EB-3 category, covering professional and skilled workers, rose from 261,000 to 339,000 over the same period. The EB-1 category, which includes people with "extraordinary ability" as well as certain researchers and other priority workers, fell from 101,000 to 84,000. Why Indian Applicants Face Longest Waits The estimated waiting times vary significantly by category and country of birth. For Indian nationals applying under EB-2, the estimated wait is as long as 179 years. Chinese nationals in the same category could face a wait of about 25 years. For EB-3, the estimated wait is about 38 years for Indian nationals and seven years for Chinese nationals. The EB-1 category has significantly shorter estimated waits: around four to five years for Indians and about five years for Chinese applicants. The 'H-1B Limbo' Many employment-based green card applicants first enter the US on temporary H-1B work visas. Most H-1B visas go to people working in computer-related occupations. While waiting for a green card, applicants can remain in what immigration lawyers and workers describe as "H-1B limbo". They must continue to meet the requirements of their H-1B status, including working in a qualifying specialty occupation for an employer sponsoring them. Workers who lose their jobs generally have 60 days to find new employment or leave the US. The situation has added uncertainty for H-1B workers as the Trump administration has sought to tighten immigration policies. The administration has also announced plans for a new $103,000 administrative fee for H-1B visa applications, after a federal judge struck down a similar proposal.
