The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is grappling with an unprecedented immigration backlog, with pending cases reaching a record 11.3 million in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025 (January–March 2025). This surge, coupled with an 18% year-on-year drop in case completions, has significantly impacted Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) seeking green cards, work permits, and temporary visas, exacerbating delays and uncertainty for Indian professionals and families in the U.S.
A Growing Backlog Crisis
According to USCIS’s latest data, case completions fell to 2.7 million in Q2 FY2025, down 12% from the previous quarter and 18% from Q2 FY2024. The backlog, now surpassing 10 million for the first time in a decade, has led to severe delays across key immigration processes, particularly for Indian applicants who form a significant portion of employment-based visa categories.
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Green Card Delays: Form I-90, used to replace green cards, saw median processing times skyrocket by 938%, jumping from 0.8 months to over 8 months in a single quarter. For employment-based green cards, Indian applicants face wait times stretching decades due to the 7% per-country quota, with over 800,000 Indians in the backlog as of 2020.
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Work Permit Backlogs: Form I-765, for work authorizations, saw an 87% increase in pending initial applications and a 79% rise in total pending cases, ballooning from 1.2 million to over 2 million. The net backlog of delayed cases in this category surged by 181%.
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Temporary Visas: Form I-129, used for employment-based temporary visas like H-1B, experienced a 25% increase in median processing time from the prior quarter and an 80% rise year-on-year. However, the net backlog for I-129s decreased by 75%, offering slight relief for some applicants.
Impact on NRIs
The backlog has hit Indian professionals hardest, given their heavy reliance on H-1B visas and employment-based green cards. Indian nationals account for nearly 70% of H-1B visa holders, with tech giants like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft sponsoring significant numbers for permanent residency. The prolonged delays create professional and personal hardships, as highlighted by Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar: “The green card backlog is creating hardship for scientists, skilled workers, and their families, at a time when American businesses need these skilled immigrants.”
For NRIs, the implications are profound:
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Career Disruptions: Delays in work permit renewals jeopardize job security, particularly for H-1B holders facing layoffs or visa expirations.
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Family Separation: Family-based immigration, critical for NRIs sponsoring spouses or parents, faces additional hurdles due to stricter scrutiny, withdrawn interview waivers, and understaffing at USCIS. Indian applicants, alongside Chinese, Filipinos, and Mexicans, are among the most affected.
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Economic Uncertainty: The backlog discourages NRIs from pursuing long-term investments in the U.S., with some exploring alternative immigration pathways to secure stability.
Policy Shifts and Challenges
The slowdown is attributed to post-Trump policy inertia, intensified scrutiny, and operational constraints. A February 2025 executive order, “One Voice for America’s Foreign Relations,” reduced overseas consular staff, contributing to delays. Additionally, a March 2025 notice by Senator Marco Rubio reclassified immigration regulations as “foreign-affairs functions,” bypassing public comment periods and raising concerns about transparency, particularly for H-1B processes relied upon by Indian IT firms.
A November 2024 federal court decision striking down Biden’s “Keeping Families Together” program further complicates matters, affecting nearly half a million out-of-status immigrants married to U.S. citizens, including some NRIs. New USCIS rules introduced in March 2025, including increased social media scrutiny and higher filing fees, add friction to an already strained system.
Calls for Reform
Indian-American lawmakers, including Raja Krishnamoorthi and Shri Thanedar, are advocating for reforms. Krishnamoorthi’s Eliminating Backlogs Act of 2023 aims to remove the 7% country quota and optimize visa allocation, while Thanedar is pushing bills to expedite green card processing. The Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) has urged relaxed employment authorization rules for those stuck in the backlog, noting wait times for Indians can reach 135 years.
Alternatives for NRIs
Amid U.S. delays, NRIs are exploring alternative immigration pathways to secure long-term stability:
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UAE Golden Visa: The UAE’s new nomination-based Golden Visa, launched July 6, 2025, offers lifetime residency for AED 100,000 (~₹23.3 lakh) without requiring investments, attracting Indian professionals seeking to live and work in a tax-free, dynamic economy. Read our related coverage on UAE’s New Golden Visa Policy.
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Canada’s Immigration Pathways: Canada’s streamlined programs, such as the Express Entry system and Temporary Foreign Worker Program, are drawing Indian talent. Despite challenges like delays in Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), Canada’s open work permit stream for H-1B holders has proven popular, though it was oversubscribed in 48 hours in 2023.
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Other Global Options: Countries like Australia and Singapore offer skilled migration pathways, appealing to NRIs in tech and healthcare seeking faster residency routes compared to the U.S. backlog.
Looking Ahead
As the Trump administration intensifies immigration enforcement as evidenced by a 70% drop in illegal Indian border crossings in 2025, the legal immigration system remains a bottleneck. Without significant reforms, NRIs face prolonged waits, prompting many to reconsider their U.S. aspirations. For updates on navigating these challenges, read our related coverage: UPI Goes Global and UAE Golden Visa.
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