America
EB-2 wait time for Green Card is 151 years for Indians

As of April 20, 2018, there were 632,219 Indian immigrants and their spouses and minor children waiting for green cards, a report released by Washington based Cato Institute said.
The shortest wait is for the highest skilled category for EB-1 immigrants with extraordinary ability-6 years.
EB-3 immigrants—those with bachelor’s degrees—will have to wait about 17 years. The biggest backlog is for EB-2 workers who have advanced degrees. They will have to wait 151 years for a green card.
EB-3 immigrants—those with bachelor’s degrees—will have to wait about 17 years. The biggest backlog is for EB-2 workers who have advanced degrees. They will have to wait 151 years for a green card.
The green card allocation is not based on the length of the backlog, so 69 percent of the backlog is in the EB-2 category, but it received only 13 percent of the green cards issued in 2017.
As per law, one country will get only 7 percent of the green cards issued in the category each year virtually limiting the number to 9600 a year.
As per law, one country will get only 7 percent of the green cards issued in the category each year virtually limiting the number to 9600 a year.
But if there is no demand from other countries, the remaining green cards can go to India irrespective of the 7 percent quota.
For this reason, Indians received nearly 18 percent of the total green cards issued in the EB-3 category in 2017, the report said.
The demand in EB-2 is so high from other countries right now.
For this reason, Indians received nearly 18 percent of the total green cards issued in the EB-3 category in 2017, the report said.
The demand in EB-2 is so high from other countries right now.
Indians will not get more than 7 percent due to that.
It’s worth emphasizing that the per-country limits are still discriminating against EB-3 Indians. Only once every other national who wants a green card in that category gets one do they get relief, so tens of thousands of immigrants from other countries are still bypassing them in line, even though Indians have waited longer.
It’s worth emphasizing that the per-country limits are still discriminating against EB-3 Indians. Only once every other national who wants a green card in that category gets one do they get relief, so tens of thousands of immigrants from other countries are still bypassing them in line, even though Indians have waited longer.
The absurd wait times for Indian immigrants highlights the importance of ending this pointless discrimination in the legal immigration system—which the Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act (H.R. 392)—but Congress shouldn’t just adopt a spread-the-pain policy either. It should increase the number of green cards issued as well, the report noted.
Table 1: Indian Immigrants Waiting for Green Cards (Approved Petitions for Alien Worker)*
Primary | Spouse & Children | Total | Share Waiting | 2017 Visas Issued | Share of Visas | Projected Wait | |
EB-1: Extraordinary ability | 34,824 | 48,754 | 83,578 | 13% | 13,082 | 58% | 6 Years |
EB-2: Advanced degrees | 216,684 | 216,684 | 433,368 | 69% | 2,879 | 13% | 151 Years |
EB-3: Bachelor’s degrees | 54,892 | 60,381 | 115,273 | 18% | 6,641 | 29% | 17 Years |
Grand Total | 306,400 | 325,819 | 632,219 | 100% | 22,602 | 100% | - |
Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Annual Visas from U.S. Department of State; *As of April 20, 2018 with Priority Date On or After May 2018 Department of State Visa Bulletin; Note: Spouses & children are based on USCIS’s estimate of the ratio of primary to dependent applicants

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