Green Card Waits Grow Worse for Skilled Immigrants

Published: July 2, 2012

India West
June 29, 2012

Skilled foreign nationals have seen no improvement in their prospects of obtaining Green Cards and wait times will likely increase in employment-based immigration categories, according to a report by the Arlington, Va.-based National Foundation for American Policy, a policy research group.

An October 2011 study found wait times for skilled immigrants, in particular those from India and China, could last five to eight years, or even decades in some cases, Forbes magazine reported.

The State Department said wait times could be imposed on individuals from countries other than India and China in the employment-based second preference (EB-2) category, for persons of “exceptional ability” and “advanced degree” holders, with the employment-based first preference (EB-1) category (outstanding researchers and professors, immigrants of extraordinary ability) also possibly becoming backlogged.

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