Indians hold 91% of US EB-2 green card backlog: USCIS data
Synopsis
USCIS data as of June 2026 reveals that Indians hold 91 per cent of all pending EB-2 green card petitions in the US — 356,360 of 391,296 — with no relief in sight as the per-country cap for fiscal 2026 has already been exhausted. With dependents excluded from the count and H-1B rules tightening simultaneously, the backlog's true scale is almost certainly far larger.
Key Takeaways
Indian nationals hold 356,360 of 391,296 pending EB-2 petitions in the US — about 91.1 per cent — per USCIS data as of June 2026 .
China is the only other country with pending EB-2 petitions, accounting for 34,936 , or 8.9 per cent .
Across all employment-based categories, India accounts for 491,773 of 856,662 pending petitions — roughly 57.4 per cent .
India's EB-2 per-country limit for fiscal 2026 was exhausted; no further India-chargeable EB-2 visas could be issued until 1 October 2026 .
USCIS cautions that dependents (spouses and children) are excluded from the data, making the real queue considerably longer.
The backlog grows amid tightened H-1B rules and the suspension of several tech firms from the PERM labour certification programme in October 2026 .
Indian nationals hold approximately 91 per cent of all approved EB-2 green card petitions awaiting visa numbers in the United States, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data as of June 2026. The figures lay bare the structural disadvantage that per-country caps impose on Indian professionals, who dominate the employment-based immigration pipeline but are forced to the back of the queue by annual numerical limits.
Scale of the EB-2 Backlog
Of 391,296 approved petitions in the employment-based second preference (EB-2) category — reserved for advanced-degree professionals — a striking 356,360 were filed by individuals born in India, accounting for 91.1 per cent of the total. China ranked a distant second with 34,936 petitions, or about 8.9 per cent. According to the data, no EB-2 petitions awaiting visas were recorded for Mexico, the Philippines, or the rest of the world combined.
India's Dominance Across All Employment-Based Categories
The disparity extends well beyond the EB-2 tier. Across all employment-based categories — covering approved I-140, I-360, and I-526 petitions — a total of 856,662 petitions were awaiting visa availability as of the same date. India accounted for 491,773 of these, or roughly 57.4 per cent. In the EB-3 skilled-worker and professional category, 106,214 of 147,492 pending petitions — about 72 per cent — were for India-born applicants. Even in the EB-1 priority-worker category, India held 17,861 of 31,962 petitions, or approximately 56 per cent.
Why the Backlog Persists
The root cause is a statutory provision that caps any single country's share of employment-based green cards at 7 per cent per year, regardless of total demand. Because a disproportionately large number of applicants — many of whom first enter on H-1B visas — are Indian nationals, the per-country ceiling creates wait times that can stretch for decades. The State Department confirmed earlier that India's per-country limit for the EB-2 category had been exhausted for fiscal 2026, meaning no further India-chargeable EB-2 visas could be issued until fiscal 2027 began on 1 October 2026.
Caveats in the USCIS Data
USCIS noted that the counts 'represent only primary beneficiaries' and that 'dependents' — including spouses and children — are 'not included,' which means the true queue is considerably longer than the headline figures suggest. The agency also cautioned that because petitioners can file more than one petition, the report 'could contain multiple petitions for a single individual.' The data excludes individuals who have already obtained permanent residency or US citizenship.
Broader Immigration Context
The backlog comes at a particularly fraught moment for Indian tech workers. The current administration has been tightening rules around the H-1B programme — the primary pipeline through which Indian professionals enter the US before seeking employer-sponsored green cards — and reportedly suspended several technology companies from the PERM labour certification programme in October 2026. Critics argue these simultaneous pressures create a pincer effect: stricter entry pathways combined with an unresolved multi-decade backlog at the residency stage. The 7 per cent per-country cap, which has remained unchanged despite repeated legislative efforts at reform, continues to be the central structural bottleneck for Indian applicants.
Point of View
Multiple filings, and the downstream family impact — means the real human cost is far greater than any single headline number. The timing matters too: as the H-1B pipeline narrows under tighter administration rules, the backlog at the residency end simultaneously deepens, leaving Indian professionals in a structural limbo that no executive action short of legislative reform can fix.
NationPress
1 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the EB-2 green card category and why do Indians dominate its backlog?
The EB-2 category is a US employment-based immigration pathway for professionals holding advanced degrees or those with exceptional ability. Indians dominate its backlog because a large share of US tech and STEM workers are Indian nationals who enter on H-1B visas and later seek employer-sponsored green cards — yet the statutory 7 per cent per-country annual cap means high demand translates directly into multi-decade wait times.
How large is India's share of pending EB-2 petitions in the US?
As of June 2026, India accounted for 356,360 of 391,296 pending EB-2 petitions — approximately 91.1 per cent — according to USCIS data. China held the remaining 8.9 per cent, with no other country reporting pending EB-2 petitions.
Are spouses and children included in the USCIS backlog count?
No. USCIS explicitly noted that the figures cover only primary beneficiaries, and that dependents — spouses and children — are not included. This means the actual number of individuals affected by the backlog is considerably higher than the published petition counts.
When can India-born applicants expect new EB-2 visas after fiscal 2026 ran out?
The State Department confirmed that India's per-country EB-2 limit was exhausted for fiscal 2026. New India-chargeable EB-2 visas could not be issued until fiscal 2027 began on 1 October 2026, though annual allocations are quickly absorbed given the scale of demand.
How does the H-1B crackdown affect the green card backlog for Indians?
The H-1B visa is the primary route through which Indian professionals enter the US before seeking employer-sponsored green cards. As current administration rules tighten H-1B access and suspend certain technology companies from the PERM labour certification programme, critics argue the dual pressure — narrower entry and an unresolved backlog at the residency stage — deepens the long-term disadvantage for Indian applicants.
