The latest US immigration data points to a significant shift for Indian professionals seeking employment-based green cards. India’s share of employment-based immigrant petitions has fallen from a peak of 54% in fiscal year 2021 to about 29% in fiscal 2026 so far, while the overall backlog continues to grow. The trend comes as President Donald Trump’s administration tightens scrutiny of employment-based immigration and has suspended several major technology companies from participating in the PERM labour-certification programme.
One important distinction is that the 29% figure refers to India’s share of petitions received, not necessarily its share of approvals. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data through the third quarter of fiscal 2026 shows India’s share at 29.3%. Approval rates, denials and pending cases provide a separate picture of how the immigration system is processing applications. (Financial Express)
India’s Share of US Employment-Based Petitions Declines
India has historically accounted for a substantial share of employment-based immigration petitions filed in the United States, particularly in categories used by skilled professionals and technology workers. However, its proportion of filings has declined as applications from other countries have grown faster.
According to USCIS data analysed by Financial Express, India’s share of Form I-140 petitions fell from 43.8% in fiscal 2014 to 28% in fiscal 2025. It reached 29.3% in fiscal 2026 through the third quarter, representing a modest increase from the previous fiscal year but remaining far below its peak.
| Fiscal year | India’s share of I-140 petitions |
|---|---|
| FY2014 | 43.8% |
| FY2021 | 54.0% |
| FY2023 | 34.2% |
| FY2024 | 28.7% |
| FY2025 | 28.0% |
| FY2026 through Q3 | 29.3% |
Source: USCIS data reported by Financial Express. FY2026 figures cover only the first three quarters. (Financial Express)
The decline does not mean Indian professionals have stopped applying for green cards. India filed 813,587 petitions between fiscal 2014 and fiscal 2025, accounting for 39.2% of the 2.07 million petitions recorded globally during that period.
Instead, the changing share reflects a combination of slower growth in Indian filings, rising applications from other countries and mounting processing delays.
US Employment-Based Green Card Backlog Reaches New High
The broader US employment-based immigration system is under pressure as applications have grown faster than the number of cases being resolved.
USCIS received 244,907 Form I-140 petitions in fiscal 2025, compared with 86,998 in fiscal 2014. That represents an increase of roughly 2.8 times over the period.
Through the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the agency had received another 173,489 petitions. Of these, 76,495 were pending, accounting for 44.1% of all petitions received during the period.
| Indicator | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| I-140 petitions received in FY2014 | 86,998 |
| I-140 petitions received in FY2025 | 244,907 |
| I-140 petitions received in FY2026 through Q3 | 173,489 |
| Pending petitions in FY2026 through Q3 | 76,495 |
| Share of FY2026 petitions pending | 44.1% |
| FY2025 petitions approved | 59.7% |
Source: USCIS data reported by Financial Express. Petition status figures are not equivalent to the number of green cards ultimately issued. (Financial Express)
The figures indicate that the system is dealing with a growing workload. A pending I-140 petition is not necessarily a rejected application; it is a case that has not yet reached a final decision in the reported dataset.
The distinction matters because the immigration process involves multiple stages. Approval of an I-140 petition establishes an employment-based immigration classification, but it does not automatically mean an applicant can immediately receive a green card. Visa-number availability, priority dates and other eligibility requirements can affect the timeline.
Approval Rates Fall as Pending Cases Increase
The number of approvals has not kept pace with the increase in petitions. Across all nationalities, 59.7% of petitions received in fiscal 2025 had been approved in the reported dataset, compared with 91.2% for fiscal 2014.
Indian applicants continued to have a higher approval rate than applicants from the rest of the world. In fiscal 2025, 80% of Indian petitions were approved, compared with 51.8% for non-Indian applicants. Through the third quarter of fiscal 2026, the corresponding figures stood at 70.7% for India and 42.3% for the rest of the world.
Nevertheless, the proportion of Indian cases awaiting a decision has increased. India had 12,010 pending petitions through the third quarter of fiscal 2026, equivalent to 23.6% of its filings during the period.
Denials have also increased over time. India recorded 6,444 denied petitions in fiscal 2025, the highest number in the 13-year series cited by Financial Express. That represented 9.4% of Indian filings, up from 3.1% in fiscal 2023.
These numbers suggest that Indian applicants continue to perform relatively well compared with the global average, but the system is becoming more difficult to navigate as pending cases and denials rise.
Trump Administration Tightens Immigration Restrictions
The latest data comes amid a broader tightening of US immigration policy under Trump. On October 8, 2026, the administration suspended several technology companies from participating in the Permanent Labor Certification programme, commonly known as PERM.
The affected businesses include Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys, Wipro, HCLTech, Cognizant and Capgemini, as well as US technology companies Microsoft and Adobe. The US government cited allegations involving misuse of employment-based immigration programmes and concerns about the displacement of American workers. These are allegations and should not be treated as established findings of wrongdoing. (Reuters)
PERM is a labour-certification step that employers generally need to complete when sponsoring certain foreign workers for permanent residency. Employers must demonstrate that the relevant hiring meets applicable US labour-market requirements.
The suspension restricts the affected companies’ ability to submit or process PERM applications under the programme. It does not, by itself, mean that every Indian professional working in the US loses their existing visa or immigration status.
The measure is separate from the H-1B temporary work visa programme, although the two pathways can be connected in a worker’s longer-term immigration journey. For employees already in the US on H-1B visas, disruption to the green-card process can create uncertainty about future permanent residency and employment planning.
What the Changes Mean for Indian IT Professionals
Indian technology workers are particularly exposed to changes in US employment-based immigration because India has historically accounted for a large share of skilled-worker petitions and technology-sector applicants.
A longer or less predictable green-card process can make it harder for employees to plan long-term careers, family arrangements and decisions about remaining in the United States. The impact will vary depending on an individual’s visa category, priority date, employer and current immigration status.
For Indian IT companies, the restrictions may encourage greater reliance on local US hiring and delivery models that allow more work to be performed from India. However, this transition is not cost-free. Companies could face additional recruitment expenses, compliance requirements and challenges when assigning specialised employees to client locations.
The implications are not necessarily limited to traditional outsourcing firms. Multinational companies that depend on international technology talent may also need to reassess recruitment, employee retention and the location of specialised work.
Why India’s Share Is Falling
The decline in India’s share of petitions reflects more than one factor. Indian filings increased from 38,082 in fiscal 2014 to 68,569 in fiscal 2025, but filings from the rest of the world grew faster, rising from 48,916 to 176,338 over the same period.
India’s share of global petitions peaked at 54% in fiscal 2021, when Indian filings surged sharply. That exceptional year was followed by a decline in the proportion of petitions coming from India as applications from other countries expanded.
The data also shows changes within employment-based categories. EB-2, which generally covers professionals with advanced degrees or individuals with exceptional ability, remains the largest category among Indian filings. EB-3 covers skilled workers, professionals and certain other workers.
For Indian applicants, however, the number of approved petitions is only one part of the challenge. Country-specific visa limits and long-standing backlogs can mean that an approved petition does not immediately translate into permanent residency.
The Bigger Picture
The fall in India’s share of US employment-based petitions reflects a changing immigration landscape rather than a simple collapse in demand from Indian workers. Applications from other countries have grown faster, while processing delays and denials have increased across the wider system.
Trump’s latest restrictions add another layer of uncertainty, particularly for workers employed by the affected technology companies. But the precise effect on individual applicants will depend on their immigration category, existing status and the implementation of the new restrictions.
Looking Ahead
The next important indicators will be future USCIS petition data, the number of applications resolved, changes in denial rates and any clarification of the PERM suspensions. Indian professionals already pursuing green cards should distinguish between petition approval, visa availability and final permanent-residency approval, since each stage has separate requirements. Individuals facing an affected application may need advice from a qualified US immigration attorney about their specific circumstances.
For Indian IT companies, the policy shift could accelerate local US recruitment and encourage more technology work to be delivered from India. That could create opportunities for India’s domestic technology ecosystem, even as some workers face a more difficult route to permanent residency in the United States. Whether those opportunities outweigh the added costs and uncertainty will depend on how employers adapt and how US immigration policy evolves.
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