Green Card Nightmare: Indian Immigrants in the US Face Decades-Long Wait

The wait for a Green Card shows no signs of ending for Indians living in the US. Although the official website of the US Bureau of Consular Affairs claims the process should take no more than 24 months, many Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) report wait times ranging from 40 to 100 years. This is despite having lived in the US for decades, holding eligible visas, and meeting all necessary criteria without any criminal records.

A New Jersey-based resident, who moved to the US from Secunderabad in 1996, shared his frustration: "I applied for my Green Card in 2005. My current waiting time is 81 years. I'm already 53." He added that whenever he contacts the department of immigration and citizenship, they attribute the delays to the overwhelming number of applications from around the world. He fears that even his children, born in India, might not secure a Green Card in their lifetime.

This case is not unique. A report by the Cato Institute, a think tank, revealed that 34.7 million applications were filed with US authorities in 2024 alone, but only 3% are expected to obtain permanent residency this fiscal year. The annual cap for successful applications is set at 1.1 million for this year.

Suren K, a tech professional based in Dallas, Texas, who frequently shares information about US immigration on social media, recently expressed his concerns on X. Responding to a video by US Ambassador Eric Garcetti inviting students to an education fair, Suren tweeted: "Please don't come to #USA. These are lies. Don't believe me? Talk to anyone who came here to study in the last decade. Your dreams will be shattered. There is no future after your education is over. Your entire career will be chasing #H1B visas. Green Cards for Indian born have a wait time of ~100 years #greencardbacklog."

The prolonged delay is particularly frustrating for Indians, as India has emerged as the second-largest source of new US citizens, with 65,960 Indians obtaining citizenship in the fiscal year 2022, second only to Mexicans. However, the path to citizenship remains elusive for many.

Another applicant, a project manager from California who moved to the US from Nagpur in 2010, expressed his dismay: "My waiting period is 62 years, and I'm almost 40. What use will a Green Card be when I'm dead? I meet all the criteria—eligible visa, no criminal record, over three years of stay—but I've been waiting for 10 years while working for a big tech company. Why invite so many immigrants if they can't accommodate them?”