The latest US Visa Bulletin has brought disheartening news for countless Indian families dreaming of permanent residency, revealing minimal to no advancement in priority dates for family-sponsored green card categories. While the situation remains largely stagnant for families, a slight glimmer of hope emerged for some Indian professionals, with certain employment-based categories registering modest forward movement. This update underscores the persistent challenges and prolonged waiting periods faced by Indian nationals seeking to make the United States their permanent home.
For Indian applicants in the various family-sponsored preference categories, the green card queue continues to stretch indefinitely. Categories such as F1 (unmarried adult sons and daughters of U.S. citizens), F2A (spouses and minor children of LPRs), F2B (unmarried adult sons and daughters of LPRs), F3 (married sons and daughters of U.S. citizens), and F4 (brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens) have shown negligible or zero progress. This lack of movement means that many Indian families will continue to endure waiting periods spanning years, and in some cases, even decades, before their priority dates become current. The ongoing stagnation is a significant source of frustration and uncertainty for those hoping for family reunification or to establish stable lives in the U.S.
In a slight contrast, the employment-based green card categories for Indian professionals witnessed some marginal improvement. While not a substantial breakthrough, this mild advancement offers a limited ray of hope for highly skilled Indian workers. Historically, categories like EB-1 (persons of extraordinary ability, outstanding professors or researchers, and certain multinational executives or managers) tend to move faster. However, even EB-2 (professionals holding advanced degrees or persons of exceptional ability) and EB-3 (skilled workers, professionals, and other workers) for India have seen some minimal forward shifts in their priority dates. Despite these small gains, the overall backlog for Indian employment-based green cards remains immense.
The core issue perpetuating these extensive backlogs is the overwhelming demand from Indian applicants coupled with the per-country cap limitations embedded within U.S. immigration law. These statutory caps restrict the number of green cards issued to natives of any single country each year, disproportionately affecting high-demand nations like India. This regulatory framework often results in multi-year and multi-decade waits across nearly all green card categories for Indian immigrants. The recent Visa Bulletin serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform to address these long-standing systemic issues.
In conclusion, the latest US Visa Bulletin presents a challenging landscape for Indian immigrants: profound stagnation for families navigating the green card queue, contrasted with marginal yet welcome advancements for some employment-based professionals. This enduring situation highlights the immense hurdles and the often distant reality of achieving permanent residency in the United States for many Indian nationals.
