US employment green cards show modest progress for Indian EB-3 applicants

The US State Department's November visa bulletin shows marginal progress for Indian employment-based green card seekers, with EB-3 category applicants advancing 21 days in the Dates for Filing chart. The movement provides slight encouragement to lower-skilled and intermediate workers navigating America's immigration system, though the pace remains glacial compared to applicants from other nations.

Indian nationals dominate the employment-based visa queue, with hundreds of thousands waiting for permanent residency slots. The country's high population and widespread participation in sectors like information technology and healthcare have created unprecedented backlogs that stretch across decades in some categories.

More concerning for Indian professionals is the complete stagnation affecting EB-2 applicants, a category typically used by advanced degree holders and specialized workers. The absence of forward movement in this tier underscores the structural constraints facing skilled immigrants seeking US permanent residency, with visa number allocation severely limited by congressional legislation that caps country-specific admissions.

The November advance in EB-3 represents the US government's decision to accept applications using the Dates for Filing chart rather than the stricter Final Action Dates. This technical distinction allows more workers to file or adjust status, though final approval remains dependent on visa availability.

Indian applicants in employment-based categories face estimated wait times ranging from five to over 50 years, depending on the visa category and their profession. The disparity reflects both the overwhelming demand from India and the restrictive legal framework governing employment-based immigration to the United States.