US green card: Indian EB-1 applicants face visa number shortage risk

The US State Department has warned that EB-1 employment-based green card numbers for Indian applicants may run out before September 30 due to high demand, creating fresh uncertainty for those awaiting final approval. The warning is significant because EB-2 is already unavailable for Indians, and EB-3 applicants face a queue dating back to 2014. The EB-1 India final action date is October 15, 2022, with a dates-for-filing cutoff of December 1, 2023. The pressure stems from high demand combined with statutory limits, including a 7% per-country cap on employment-based visas. For fiscal year 2026, the worldwide employment-based limit is 186,317. Applicants should monitor the Visa Bulletin and USCIS guidance, as temporary unavailability does not mean permanent rejection.