The U.S. employment-based Green Card backlog has passed 1.2 million people by one major estimate. For some Indian EB-2 applicants, the projected wait has reached an extraordinary 179 years. But those numbers do not mean everyone applying for a Green Card will wait decades. US Green Card Backlog 2026: How Long Will You Actually Wait? Your real timeline depends on something much more specific: your immigration category + country of chargeability + priority date + visa availabil