12-year waiting list for US Green Card

Washington : There is a lengthy 12-year waiting period for Indians applying for permanent residency, also known as Green Card, in the US as skilled employees, according to a new report. India, however, is also among the top countries whose residents get Green Cards every year.
In 2015, about 36,318 Indians adjusted their status to permanent residency while 27,798 Indians are new arrivals who received lawful permanent residency in the form of a Green Card, Pew Research said.“In one employment-related category, people from India applying for permanent residence as skilled employees currently have a 12-year waiting list. In other words, the government currently is processing applications filed in May of 2005,” the report said. Pew said from fiscal 2010 to 2014, about 36 per cent of employment-related Green Cards–more than 2.22 lakh–were granted to H-1B visa holders. Green Card is the immigration status of a person authorised to live and work in the US permanently. A Green Card holder can apply for US citizenship after five years of residency. This period is shortened to three years if married to a US citizen Green Card holders who adjusted their status are more likely than new arrivals to be in their prime working years of 25 to 64. Among those who adjusted their status, 72 per cent were of ages 25 to 64, compared with 55 per cent of new arrivals, the research report said.