Green Card Backlog 2026: Nearly 1 Million Indians Face EB-2 Wait of Up to 179 Years

The United States green card backlog has reached a critical point for Indian-born applicants, with nearly one million individuals stuck in the employment-based immigration queue. Per-country annual caps — which limit any single country to roughly 7% of total green card issuances — have created a structural bottleneck that disproportionately impacts nationals from high-demand countries like India and China. For EB-2 (Employment-Based Second Preference) applicants from India, wait times are now projected to stretch as long as 179 years under current conditions. This staggering figure reflects both the enormous volume of pending petitions and the glacial pace at which priority dates advance for Indian nationals. Applicants already in the backlog may be waiting decades before their priority dates become current. While the headline figure concerns EB-2, the situation is equally severe for EB-3 applicants from India. EB-3 skilled worker and professional categories share the same per-country cap system, meaning Indian EB-3 beneficiaries face similarly prolonged waits. The backlog affects workers who have already secured employer sponsorship and approved I-140 petitions but cannot yet file for adjustment of status or receive an immigrant visa. The root cause is a mismatch between statutory per-country limits, unchanged since 1990, and the dramatically increased number of H-1B and other temporary visa holders from India who have transitioned to employer-sponsored green card processes. Legislative reforms, such as eliminating or raising per-country caps, have been proposed repeatedly in Congress but have not passed into law. For EB-3 applicants currently in the backlog, the practical advice remains to maintain valid nonimmigrant status, keep I-140 petitions approved and active, and monitor the monthly Visa Bulletin closely for any priority date movement. Consulting an immigration attorney about portability options under AC21 may also provide additional flexibility during the extended wait.