Green Card wait for most Indian immigrants is now 179 years - after Trump imposed tough limits

Indian professionals in the United States face an extraordinary wait for a green card, with current estimates placing the typical Indian applicant’s wait at about 179 years. The green-card backlog for employment-based petitions has grown to roughly 1.2 million people nationwide, according to immigration data tracking groups. The long delays result from a U.S. system that awards a limited number of permanent-residency visas each year in each category and country, with a per-country cap that disproportionately affects applicants from India because of high demand in information technology and related fields. When an applicant from India receives a priority date, they must wait for years or even decades until that date becomes current, at which point the petition can advance toward approval. The Trump administration tightened immigration policies and processing standards, reducing throughput and contributing to the backlog; those effects persisted into subsequent administrations. For many families, the delay complicates job planning, career mobility, and long-term stability. Policy makers have discussed reform provisions, including adjusting or removing country caps and modernizing processing, but any change requires Congress action and can take years to implement. Advocacy groups say reforms could help skilled workers stay competitive and support U.S. employers. In the meantime, applicants monitor the Visa Bulletin for progress and consider alternate visa options.