Indians advance in green card queue, reveals US Visa Bulletin

The US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs has some good news for Indian applicants eyeing American citizenship. The Visa Bulletin for February 2025 has shown advancements in employment-based (EB) green card categories, presenting potential benefits for applicants from India.

While the final action dates for family-sponsored visa categories remain static in the February bulletin, the earlier US Visa Bulletin for January 2025 had shown some progress in the family-sponsored green card categories.

The US Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication by the Department of State that provides information on the availability of immigrant visa numbers for applicants waiting to apply for a green card in the United States.

The limit for family-sponsored category immigrants has been set at 2,26,000, while the annual cap for employment-based preference immigrants has been kept at 1,40,000.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data shows that over a million Indians are waiting for green cards. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimated the backlog for Indians in employment-based categories to reach 21.9 lakh by FY 2030.

That is estimated to take 195 years to clear.

Indians in the US, now a community of five million, have become one of the most influential immigrant groups in the country.

The worldwide cap for annual employment-based preference for immigrants is at least 1,40,000. In this category, the filing dates remain unchanged, with only the final action dates being modified.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED VISA PREFERENCE CASES

In the First Preference (EB-1) category, which includes priority workers, the final action date remains unchanged at February 1, 2022. An estimated 1,43,497 Indians are waiting in this backlog.

For the Second Preference (EB-2) visa category, which includes professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability, the final action date has advanced from October 1, 2012, to October 15, 2012. An estimated 8,38,784 Indians are waiting in this backlog.

In the Third Preference (EB-3) category, which includes skilled workers, professionals, and other workers, the final action date has advanced by 15 days, from December 1, 2012, to December 15, 2012. According to USCIS, 1,38,581 Indians are in the employment-based third preference (EB-3) category. The Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) estimates an additional 1,38,581 dependents, bringing the total to 2,77,162 Indians in the EB-3 backlog.

However, in the family-sponsored visa green card categories -- F1, F2A, F2B, F3, and F4 -- the dates remain unchanged.