Washington, November 1, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian nationals account for approximately 91 per cent of approved employment-based second preference (EB-2) green card petitions awaiting visa availability in the United States, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data, highlighting the disproportionate impact of per-country limits on Indian professionals.
USCIS figures for June 2026 show that 391,296 approved petitions in the EB-2 category, meant for professionals with advanced degrees, were awaiting green cards. Of these, 356,360 belonged to people born in India, accounting for around 91.1 per cent of the total.
China accounted for the remaining 34,936 petitions, or approximately 8.9 per cent. The data showed no EB-2 petitions awaiting visa availability for Mexico, the Philippines or other countries.
Across all employment-based categories, 856,662 approved I-140, I-360 and I-526 petitions were awaiting visa availability. India accounted for 491,773 of these, representing around 57.4 per cent.
Indian nationals also dominated the backlog in other employment-based categories. In EB-3, which covers skilled workers and professionals, India accounted for 106,214 of the 147,492 pending petitions, or about 72 per cent.
In the EB-1 category for priority workers, Indian nationals accounted for 17,861 of the 31,962 petitions awaiting visa availability, representing approximately 56 per cent.
USCIS clarified that the figures cover only primary beneficiaries and exclude dependents such as spouses and children, whose inclusion would make the overall queue considerably longer.
The agency also cautioned that the figures could include multiple petitions for a single individual because petitioners may file more than one application. Those who have already obtained permanent residency or citizenship are excluded.
The backlog is linked to the statutory provision limiting the number of employment-based green cards issued to nationals of any one country to 7 per cent of the annual total. High demand among Indian professionals, many of whom initially enter the US on H-1B visas, has contributed to prolonged waiting periods.
The US State Department had earlier announced that the per-country limit for India in the EB-2 category had been reached for fiscal year 2026. As a result, no further EB-2 visas chargeable to India could be issued until the start of fiscal year 2027 on October 1.
The backlog has persisted amid tighter rules for the H-1B programme, a major route through which Indian professionals seek employment-sponsored green cards. The development also comes after several technology companies were suspended from the PERM labour certification programme in October.
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