The number of people waiting for U.S. employment-based green cards has climbed above 1.26 million, according to a report from the National Foundation for American Policy, a nonprofit research group.
As of December last year, the backlog in the first through third employment-based preference categories totaled about 1,264,500 people, up more than 20% from five years earlier. The report said the second- and third-preference categories saw especially sharp growth, while the first preference edged down slightly.
The group blamed the congestion largely on the annual 140,000 green card cap, which includes not only principal applicants but also spouses and children. It said fewer family-based green cards were issued, allowing unused numbers to spill over into the employment-based system, but the backlog still grew even after 280,000 more employment-based green cards were issued over five years than the normal limit.
The report also said the labor certification review required for green card processing now takes an average of 403 days, adding to delays. NFAP warned that the backlog is likely to continue unless immigration law is changed, and said wait times can range from several years to decades depending on country of birth and visa category.
