The American immigration system seems to be groaning under the weight of an unprecedented crisis. As of this quarter, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is struggling with a record-breaking 11.3 million pending applications, marking the highest backlog ever recorded in the agency’s history.
For thousands of Indian professionals who form the largest share of H-1B visa holders and employment-based green card seekers, this historic bottleneck has turned the American Dream into a waiting game of uncertainty, frustration, and existential risk.
According to newly released USCIS data covering January to March, delays have worsened in several immigration categories. While employment visas (Form I‑129) now take 25% longer to process compared to the previous quarter, reflecting an 80% increase year-over-year.
The green card renewals (Form I‑90) are averaging over 8 months, which is an unbelievable 938% rise in a single quarter. As for the work permits (Form I‑765), they have doubled to more than 2 million pending cases, reflecting a 79% increase.
READ: US green card crisis deepens, costing leadership roles (July 18, 2025)
Even more shocking than this data is the USCIS report, which said that for the first time in over a year, a “frontlog” of over 34,000 cases that have yet to even be opened or entered into the system.
For Indian professionals living and working in the U.S. these mounting delays are not just statistical but they represent their stalled lives. Behind this data is a community in limbo, uncertain about renewing leases, investing in homes, or even attending milestone family events abroad, fearing delays in re-entry or document approvals.
Experts say the backlog crisis is not just a product of volume but of policy choices and institutional neglect. The consequences ripple beyond individuals. U.S. companies, particularly in technology, healthcare, and research—are now losing access to key talent pipelines. Families are delaying major life decisions. Students and workers abroad are hesitating to enroll in U.S. programs. In short, the country risks undermining its global competitiveness.
To understand the real-world impact and legal vulnerabilities created by this ballooning backlog, particularly on high-skilled immigrant professionals we spoke with immigration attorney Prashanthi Reddy of Law Offices of Prashanthi Reddy PLLC. With over 25 years of experience, Reddy has served as Immigration Chair for the National South Asian Bar Association and is consistently ranked among the top 100 immigration lawyers in the U.S.
She breaks down how these delays are compounding systemic issues like status maintenance, per-country caps, visa retrogression, and the limitations of a fee-funded adjudication system.
READ: Big Beautiful Bill’s health care rollback to hit Green Card holders; tighter enforcement alarms H‑1B workers (July 6, 2025)
The American Bazaar: How vulnerable are H-1B professionals to losing their immigration status due to these delays?
Prashanthi Reddy: The delay is because of unavailability of green card numbers for Indian nationals, as the demand way exceeds the availably. Even with the unused numbers trickling down from the other categories and countries, it is still not enough to meet the huge demand.
This results in a wait of a life time, which means that individuals have no choice but to remain on H-1B status for years. It may be noted, that this is not easy as the H-1B rules get tougher and the job market gets even tougher.
Now, if these individuals get laid off at any time during this journey, they have another race of time. If they are not able to get a job within 60 days, they have to leave the country or they fall out of status. USCIS is making it difficult for consulting companies to file H-1B’s and a majority of the Indian tech force on H-1B are hired by tech consulting companies.
For Indian applicants already stuck in the world’s longest green card waiting lines, how does this backlog further complicate their path?
As I said the H-1B visa is hard to maintain because of the strict rules and enforcement. In addition, many of the individuals want to open their own businesses but they cannot while on a H-1B.
READ: US visa hopes rekindled: Indians see notable gains in EB-3 and EB-5 (July 16, 2025)
This apart, they also cannot work for any employer, so they are forced to take lower paying jobs, as many companies do not want to go through the H-1B process. They hesitate to make any permanent decisions like investing in a house, as they do not know when they might have to leave. Their career growth is definitely affected by this broken system, which impacts the economy as well as the best and the brightest cannot work in jobs that need them.
How do you think the new administration’s immigration crackdown is affecting the already broken system?
The new system of extreme vetting has slowed down the already snail-like immigration processing times. The present administration is in no mood to hire new staff or fill vacant positions, there is no appetite to invest in technology that could improve the processing time. Visa backlogs due to the new social media vetting policies have increased, I think all aspects of Immigration are affected.
What can applicants do?
While broader reform may be slow, immigration attorneys suggest the following steps:
- Use premium processing where available to reduce wait times.
- Plan ahead and apply as early as possible to avoid compounding delays.
- Explore alternative visa options or country-specific programs if applicable.
- Stay informed and document all correspondence in case legal support is needed.