Green card quota by country. USCIS Processing Time.
Green card quota by country Green Card Wait Time (By Category/Country): Based on data from USCIS/DOS, please see below current wait time for both EB and FB categories. It's not discriminatory because everyone has to use COB and every country gets the same quota of Green Cards. The Eagle Act aims to alleviate the burden of per-country caps on Green Card allocations. From there move to US on H1B and convert to green card. Applying for lawful permanent residence (a “green card”) after an individual meets all of the requirements should be a These are skill based green cards. Each country is allocated 7% of the total of all quota categories, i. Countries marked with eligible for that program year. Please refer to the Visa Bulletin page for final action dates established during the current fiscal year or the archive section on that same page for past Visa Bulletins. Check if your native country qualifies for the next Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. 3648), also would give backlogged applicants expanded travel rights and flexibility to switch employers. However, read on to find out how you may still qualify. How long you'll wait depends a lot on who’s sponsoring you. Application Category : Family-based, Latest Green Card waiting times by country. The State Department, working in close collaboration with U. ” DV 2022 - Diversity Visa Green Card Lottery winners by country . Citizens of any one country can only be granted 7 percent of all available employment-based and family-based green cards annually. Most people in the fiscal year of 2022 who obtained green cards in the United States came from Mexico, with a total of 138,772 green card recipients. Winner Status; APPLY NOW! Apply online for the next Green Card Program today to get the best chance of being selected so you can live and work permanently in the United States of America. You do have the same opportunity to come to the US as anyone else already, such as for school. 1535, is a bipartisan bill that would recapture the unused employment-based green cards accumulated since 1992. As of 2023, there are an estimated 12. White House supports passage of bill that eliminates per country quota for Green Cards; Indian-Americans set to benefit This week, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Equal Only seven percent of the yearly quota of employment-based and family-based green cards can be given to applicants from the same country – regardless of population size. A bill was proposed that would eliminate the per-country quotas failed in the Senate in September 2019. The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) sets the number of immigrant visas the U. S. If you submitted an H-1B registration, sign in to your USCIS account and check your selection status ASAP. Over the past several months, the Department of State (DOS) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have announced additional backlogs in the permanent residence (Green Card) quota system. The diversity lottery was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and makes available *55,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. EB5 Green Card Processing She also reminds us that the yearly EB-5 visa total for each country is not an absolute fixed number but one that slightly fluctuates each year. Department of State (DOS) can issue to aliens seeking to become lawful permanent residents (get a Green Card) each year. as new arrivals, The House Judiciary Committee advanced legislation Wednesday to phase out per-country caps for employment-based green cards and lift annual caps for family-based green cards. citizens are unlimited, so they are always available. During the visa interview, principal applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent or show two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience Under the current US immigration law framework—be it employment-based or family-based immigration—the government focuses on the country of birth of the 10. You can skip our comprehensive analysis and proceed directly to the 5 Biggest Countries that New Arrival, Conditional Green Card, Subject to Country Limits: C36: Married sons/daughters of U. Skip to content. The Green Card Backlog: A Barrier to Indian Talent Pool The green card backlog is a persistent issue for skilled Indian workers. EAGLE Act of 2023: Remove Per-Country Caps for Employment-Based Green CardsThe primary purpose of Bill Green Card Wait Time (By Category/Country): Based on May 2025 data from USCIS/DOS, please see below current wait time for both EB and FB categories. The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program was established in 1990 to help enable people from a wider variety of countries to immigrate to the U. The countries whose natives are not eligible for the DV-2027 program were identified by USCIS, according to the formula in Section 203(c) of the INA. 1% of the total EB visa limit for one year, then divide that number by the 7% country quota. The above statistics are available from the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics. Diversity Visa Program, DV 2019-2021: Number of Entries During Each Online Registration Period by Region and Country of Chargeability The totals below DO NOT represent the number of diversity visas issued nor the number of selected entrants Countries marked with a "0" indicate that there were no entrants from that country or area. Please note: These wait times can change every few weeks as USCIS/DOS receives more applications. ) The annual visa quota for your category; Wait times can range from months to several years, depending on demand. However, only Congress can fix foundational issues by passing laws addressing outdated country caps and However, under the doctrine of cross-chargeability, a green card applicant may use the country of chargeability of his or her spouse in order to gain a leg up on the per-country quota. The law further provides that no one country may have more than a specific percentage of the total number of immigrant visas available annually. Chargeability is usually determined by country of birth. Stay informed now! Per the Immigration Act of 1990, each country is allotted 7 percent of the available green cards for both family-based and employment-based immigrants. On a high level, the green card annual limits are 226,000 for family-based petitions and 140,000 for employment-based petitio The data is taken from the DV-2017 Lottery. Country of origin may influence the processing time for EB-3 visas that do not opt to pay the extra fee for premium processing. If signed into law, H. This works out to about 25,620 green cards per country per Again, you've only proven your ignorance. In general, someone applying for a green card in the United States must wait until the priority date of their visa is “current. The green card, also known as the Permanent Resident Card, is an identification document that grants individuals the right to live and work permanently in the United States. 04 KB) Each FB and EB categories has sub categories (F1, F2A, F2B, F3, F4, EB1, EB2, EB3, EB4, EB5) which has its own quota. Adjustment of Status is applicable to individuals already residing in the US and includes filing Form I-485 , attending appointments, and undergoing interviews. 7 million green card holders, of whom 9 million are eligible to become United States citizens. Permanent Residency Green Card Process and Steps. Aquí nos gustaría mostrarte una descripción, pero el sitio web que estás mirando no lo permite. Fig 1. If these limits are exceeded in a particular Aquí nos gustaría mostrarte una descripción, pero el sitio web que estás mirando no lo permite. With massive backlogs—particularly affecting Indian applicants—and evolving workplace needs, new H-1B rules debut in 2025. As of November 2018, there were 3. Green Card Quota Backlogs, EB-2, EB-3). I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) N-400, Application for Naturalization; Family Based Forms. This post delves into the complexities of visa chargeability and cross-chargeability rules, shedding light on how they can be instrumental in expediting the Green Card process and reuniting Generic EB5 Visa to Green Card Process. During the biometrics appointment, they only had "Yugoslavia" on the list (and that it is what my passport says As we enter 2023, many individuals eager to immigrate to the United States are anticipating the upcoming green card spillover. The quota for this year’s employment-based visas is set at 261,500 – much higher than the usual cut Green Card Waiting Times by Country. Adjustment of Status, Conditional Green Card: C37: This category allows children born after their parent received a non-quota immigrant visa to enter the U. In general, family-sponsored preference visas are limited to 226,000 visas per year, and employment-based preference visas are limited to 140,000 visas per year. Every year, the green card lottery program allows 50, 000 randomly selected people from different nationalities to get a permanent residency or green card. This means that every Green Card Wait Time (By Category/Country): Based on data from USCIS/DOS, please see below current wait time for both EB and FB categories. Each EB-5 visa applicant has unique circumstances that shape their journey to obtaining a Permanent Green Card. For many foreign nationals seeking Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status in the United States, visa number availability can cause significant delays in their Green Card journey. ” Early History The national origin quota system can be traced back to 1882 and the implementation of the The list below shows the countries whose natives are eligible for DV-2027, grouped by geographic region. Some hopeful employment based green card applicants from China and India have been on the wait list since 2008 and 2010, respectively. Immediate relatives include: The spouses of U. The following chart shows how many people from various countries were selected as winners of the DV-Programs in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018: A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. The formula for the total number is this: take 7. Within each region, no single country may receive more than 7% of the available Green Cards in any one year. DHS identified the countries whose natives are not eligible for the DV-2026 program according. , a green card) in different preference [] Country-based quota behind long Green Card wait time for India, says official; This story is from May 19, 2023. DV-2027 Program Information Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV) Program Instructions. It shows the overall Visa Bulletin is a monthly publication by the US Department of State that gives a summary of the availablity of the Green Card (Immigrant Visa) numbers based on a parameters such as the Country of Origin: If you're from a country with lots of applicants like India, Mexico, or the Philippines, expect a longer wait due to quotas. Processing times vary based on: The 2024 Tech Immigration Summit spotlighted America’s urgent need to reform Green Card and H-1B visa policies. We Find out whether or not you can enter the Green Card Lottery in 2022. ” Green Card Quota by Country. Currently, these caps create extensive waiting periods for immigrants from countries like India and China, causing delays in obtaining permanent residency despite meeting all eligibility criteria. Each country had a different maximum number, but once that number was reached, no more people from that country would generally be issued a visa that year. Here’s Annual Limits for Employment Based Green Card for FY 2018 from the Dept of State. The lists below are updated annually. The visas have been apportioned among six geographic regions with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any single country. The fact that one group exceeds the quota doesn't make it discriminatory that they have to wait longer. This could include fines, sanctions, or other forms of punishment. Interestingly, the EAD card I got while I was waiting for the green card said "Serbia and Montenegro", which is one of the former names. There goes your diversity. In addition to residence benefits, the Green Card provides access to social assistance programs and health benefits, making it an essential step towards stability and well-being in the US. At an immigration summit in the US Capitol, lawmakers from both parties called for addressing the Green Card backlog, which is disproportionately affecting Indian professionals and H-1B visa issues. Under these quota rules, unused Green Cards in the Family-based categories The green card lottery, also known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (or DV program), is a U. Country-based quota behind long Green Card wait time for India, Your country of birth; Your green card category (family-based, employment-based, etc. 'N/A" were typically not Total 2021 350,216 The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2023 diversity lottery. 1044 would equalize the waiting periods for EB permanent residence and spur significant advancement in EB green card availability for India and China, but would increase waiting periods for some other countries. If you don’t live in the USA (spend more than 1 year out of the country, have many exits that make it apparent to the border control that you’re not residing in the USA) you run the risk of losing the green card unexpectedly when trying to re-enter the USA. Per-country cap: 7% of the total annual family-sponsored and employment-based preference limits. Visas are allocated quaterly. This includes the number of Lottery winners per country every year. government lottery program for receiving a United States Permanent Resident Card, commonly called a green card. Indian immigration has surged due to the country’s large pool of skilled professionals, particularly in the tech and healthcare sectors, seeking better Green Card Wait Time (By Category/Country): Based on data from USCIS/DOS, please see below current wait time for both EB and FB categories. , all family-based and work-based green cards available each year. Submit your DV Application today to maximize your chances of winning. Green Card Waiting Time by Country 2025 The Eight Categories of Green Card Eligibility The Green Card Waitlist Explained — Priority Dates, Application Dates and How They Interact For more information, please see the Green Card Eligibility page. The per-country caps are numerical limits on the issuance of green cards to individuals from certain countries. USCIS announced the registration period of March 7, 2025 – March 24, 2025. Visa Bulletin Final Action Dates. Other factors will come into play, but it is this one that is looked at very closely, since a key goal of the Green Card Lottery Program (also called the Diversity Immigrants Visa Program) is to diversify the US population. Q. com to get a better chance of approval. Please note Green Card Waiting Time Tip: Click on headings below (EB2 ROW, EB2 China, etc) to view detailed data for 15+ yrs. Non-numerically controlled visa categories for people in the United States who are adjusting status (getting a green card or becoming a permanent resident) through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services in the Department of Homeland Security (USCIS). And Your country of birth is not a skill. Getting a green card isn't a one-size-fits-all deal. Many professionals in fields like technology, engineering, and Understanding the Eagle Act. The Immigration and Nationality Act limits the number of immigrant visas (“green cards”) that may be issued each Fiscal Year (October 1 through September 30) in all visa categories. "It's so important that Indians are Eliminate the Per Country Limits for Employment Based Green Card Petitions: The per country limits for green cards are defined in Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 202(a)(2), This current bill is going to take Period by Region and Country of Chargeability Note: The totals below DO NOT represent the number of diversity visas issued nor the number of selected entrants Countries marked with a "O" indicate that there were no entrants from that country or area. citizen. These additional backlogs have forced employers and their foreign national employees to adjust strategy in applying for permanent residence, and in maintaining By keeping up with Visa Bulletin updates and understanding the application steps, you can better handle the green card process and know what to expect with wait times. (Remember the country cap? Your own green card will be “charged” toward the annual quota of green cards available to citizens of your country of birth. The green card bill (H. These country caps, introduced in 1965, replaced a quota system . Example: EB2 India has an annual quota of 7% * 28. Therefore, a certain number of Green Cards are designated for each continent and participating country each year. Date: EB3 ROW: EB3 China: These 2018 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics data tables display data about persons obtaining lawful permanent resident status between fiscal years 2016 and 2018. Please note Green Card Waiting Time Tip: Click on headings below (EB3 ROW, EB3 China, etc) to view detailed data for 15+ yrs. USCIS Processing Time. How Long You'll Wait for a Green Card: By Relationship. Family-sponsored and employment There are many categories and sub categories in Green Card. Immigration law defines a lawful permanent resident (LPR) or “green card” holder as a foreign national who has been granted “the status of having been lawfully accorded the privilege of residing permanently in the United States as an immigrant in accordance with the immigration laws, such status not having changed. Please refer to the Visa Bulletin for specific Employment Fourth (E4) Preference final action dates for El Salvador, Guatemala, More than 100,000 legal immigrants — 28 percent of the family-sponsored and employment-based lines with quotas — waited a decade or more to apply for a green card in 2018, up from 3 percent in Under that exemption, USCIS may grant additional periods in H-1B status in increments of up to 3 years for an alien who currently maintains or previously held H-1B status, who is the beneficiary of an approved EB-1, EB-2, or EB-3 immigrant visa petition, and who is eligible to be granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status (also known as obtaining a In addition, there is a per country percentage limitation in each category tied to the fiscal year of the USCIS which ends on September 30th. Additionally, the country may be placed on a watch list and monitored more closely in the In a statement, Immigration Voice said: “This ends the discriminatory quota system based on country of birth, which has pushed over 1 million Indian high-skilled immigrant workers in the US into a 200-year wait for green cards while individuals from other countries face no wait time at all, simply due to their country of birth. In addition, the bill would exempt these recaptured green cards from the 7% per-country cap. India, Mexico, and China) due to overutilization of the green card quota, you may be able Dependent areas overseas are included within the region of the governing country. The diversity lottery was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) Diversity visa (green card lottery) annual limit: 55,000, of which up to 5,000 will be made available for use under the NACARA program. Citizenship and Immigration Services, is pleased to announce the issuance of all available visas in the Employment-Based First Preference (EB-1) category for fiscal year (FY) 2024. In the employment-based area, nationals of each country may obtain immigrant visas (i. The bill was introduced by Representative Larry Bucshon (R-Indiana) on March 10, 2023, and co-sponsored by The bill would also raise the per-country quota on family-based green cards. Having a country cap in employment based green cards is beyond ridiculous. It is broken out by region and country of birth. Petitioners will find out if they were Green Cards Quota Per Year via Employment = 140,000; If you are new to Green Card Process and don’t have a good understanding about the steps involved, read this U. Requirements; Contacts ; Home; DV Lottery photo; If your country of citizenship is on that list, you are not eligible to apply by using that citizenship. Moreover, a certain quota is set each year, Concerning application for the Green Card Lottery, the country of birth is the only one that has bearing on eligibility for this US immigration program. This program aims to diversify the immigrant population by providing visas to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. Source : State Department, “Annual Report of Immigrant Visa Applicants in the Family-Sponsored and Employment-Based Preferences Registered at the National Visa Center as of November 1, If you’re asking if you ‘have to move’ to the USA after winning. WHAT IS THE “QUOTA BACKLOG”? A. The ruling Democratic party has introduced a Citizenship Act, which among other things, seeks to eliminate the country-quota for green cards and make changes in the much sought-after H-1B visa system. e. Here you can explore the current and past Green Card winner statistics. But one of the key factors Now that you have some background let’s get into the exact text of the Bill and what each section of it says. ” This will typically be affected by the country in which the applicant was born, since the United States imposes limits on the number of green cards that can be issued to individuals born in a particular country each year. Find out processing delays, fastest approvals, and 2024 updates in seconds. The high-level process involves several stages, from filing the initial petition to receiving a Conditional and eventually a Permanent Green Card. If USCIS sees that an applicant’s country of origin’s priority date may not be current for some DV 2025 - DIVERSITY VISA GREEN CARD LOTTERY WINNERS BY COUNTRY . . In general, family-sponsored preference visas are limited to 226,000 visas per year, and employment Green Card waiting time varies by country due to per-country limits and demand. They urged the removal of the seven percent country quota to expedite the process and prevent waiting periods of more than 20 years. DV-2026 English Menu Toggle. Despite all of this , Mexico sends more legal immigrants than the next 3 combined. India ranks second, with 127,000 immigrants receiving green cards. The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky, has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2025 Diversity Visa Program. The Green Card Application Process The path to acquiring a Green Card involves two primary methods: Adjustment of Status and Consular Processing. As such, this system was called the “national origin quota system. 7 million people waiting in line abroad for a family-sponsored green card, and 121,000 awaiting an employment-sponsored green card. The backlog affects specific countries more severely, including India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines. In the United States, a certain number of green cards are made available each year through the Diversity Visa (DV) program. Exceptions are made to prevent the separation of family members when the The Eliminating Backlogs Act of 2023, or H. Please note: Per-country caps force immigrants to wait decades for green cards, simply because of their country of origin. Depending on the category of Green card you are applying under, you may be subject to annual numerical limits set by the congress. [3] In this article, we will explore the 15 biggest countries that qualify for the Green Card Lottery. Also each country has 7% limit on total visas. Once your priority date is current, you can file your green card application with USCIS. The spillover refers to the allocation of additional green cards to certain immigration categories that have not reached their annual quota. [1] [2] Green card holders are formally known as lawful permanent residents (LPRs). citizens. For more information, please see the Green Card Eligibility page. Date: EB2 ROW: EB2 China: BREAKING NEWS: As of 3/31/25, the USCIS has conducted both rounds of the 2025-26 H-1B Lottery – Regular cap and Master’s Cap. I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) Form I-821, Application for Temporary Protected Status Receipts, Approvals, Denials, and Pending by Country of Designation (Fiscal Year 2024, Q4) (XLSX, 50. Yes. What happens if a country exceeds its Visa Quota or Annual Limit? If a country exceeds its visa quota or annual limit, it may need to face potential economic or political consequences. Many of the applicants get rejected due to common errors; get expert guidance from iVisa. As of 2022, the waiting times for obtaining a green card vary depending on the country of origin. A green card, or US Permanent Residency, is issued to show the bearer can reside permanently in the United States. Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U. This would be faster Skip to main content. The Diversity Lottery Program was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) A group of 100 Democrats, including two Indian American lawmakers have introduced a new bill seeking to eliminate the country-quota for green cards and reform the H-1B visa program coveted by from each country. The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2022 diversity lottery. 6% * 140,000 = 2802 visas per year. The Diversity Lottery Program was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and makes available up to 55,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to Aquí nos gustaría mostrarte una descripción, pero el sitio web que estás mirando no lo permite. Dependent areas overseas are included within the region of the governing country. Green Card Quota Backlogs, Priority Dates, Employment-Based Preference Categories and Other Related Topics. The United States needs highly qualified professionals from India, an influential American lawmaker has said, advocating that the US Congress remove the seven per cent country quota for issuing of Green Cards that has resulted in decades of long wait for professionals from India who have moved to this country. If your country has a long wait time for approval of a green card (i. ) Immediate relative: A spouse, parent, or child (under age 21) of a U. The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2021 diversity lottery. R. Chargeability area: This is the green card applicant’s country of birth. 2. ouwv dot dphvdy aqz gqad jvla ipazsox ybphh uuabtg azn sihnpd mwau glutgggq tiqqcp bemyjhs