US Warns EB-1 Green Cards for Indians Could Become Unavailable

Indian applicants for US employment-based green cards face another warning about limited visa availability. The State Department said demand in the EB-1 category could exhaust India’s allocation before the American fiscal year ends on September 30.

The warning appeared in the department’s September Visa Bulletin. It said elevated demand and heavy use of visa numbers by applicants chargeable to India might require the EB-1 category to become temporarily unavailable in the coming weeks if the country’s prorated limit is reached.

The EB-1 category covers priority professionals, including people with extraordinary ability, distinguished researchers and professors, and certain multinational executives and managers. The September final action date for India is October 15, 2022, meaning applicants generally need a priority date before that cutoff for a visa number to become available for final issuance, subject to other eligibility requirements.

“

This situation will be continually monitored, and any necessary adjustments will be made accordingly.

The State Department said it would monitor the situation and make any necessary adjustments. The warning adds pressure to applicants already facing restrictions elsewhere in the employment-based system. India’s EB-2 category, for professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability, is listed as “U,” meaning visa numbers are not authorised for issuance during the period covered by the bulletin.

India’s EB-3 final action date stands at January 1, 2014. The comparable dates are September 1, 2024, for most countries not specifically listed, January 1, 2022, for mainland China, and August 1, 2023, for the Philippines. India’s unreserved EB-5 category remains unavailable for final action, although rural, high-unemployment and infrastructure set-aside categories remain current for all countries.

“

U