How Many Employment-Based Green Cards Are Issued Yearly?
April 11, 2025
Employment-based green cards play a vital role in attracting skilled workers to the United States. At Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Thompson, we often receive questions about how many employment-based green cards are issued per year.
This blog post will explore the annual quota, factors affecting issuance, and the challenges within the current system. Understanding these aspects is essential for employers and foreign workers navigating the complex landscape of employment-based immigration.
What Are Employment-Based Green Cards?
Definition and Purpose
Employment-based green cards provide a path to permanent residency in the United States for skilled foreign workers. These visas attract global talent, fill critical gaps in the U.S. labor market, and drive innovation across various industries.
Categories of Employment-Based Green Cards
The U.S. government offers five main categories of employment-based green cards:
- EB-1: For priority workers, including individuals with extraordinary abilities, outstanding researchers, and multinational executives.
- EB-2: For professionals with advanced degrees or exceptional ability.
- EB-3: For skilled workers, professionals, and other workers.
- EB-4: For special immigrants (including religious workers).
- EB-5: For immigrant investors who create jobs in the U.S.
Economic Impact
Employment-based immigration significantly contributes to the U.S. economy. A study found that immigrants founded more than half of the current crop of US-based startups valued at $1 billion or more. These visas enable U.S. companies to recruit top talent globally, which fosters innovation and economic growth.
Application Process Overview
The application process for an employment-based green card involves several steps:
- Labor certification (for most categories)
- Filing an immigrant petition
- Adjusting status or consular processing
Understanding the nuances of each category and staying informed about changing immigration policies is essential for a successful application. (Many applicants find professional legal assistance helpful in navigating this complex process.)
Challenges and Considerations
Applicants often face long wait times due to annual visa caps and country-specific limitations. Processing times can vary significantly depending on the visa category and the applicant’s country of origin. (The backlog for certain countries, such as India and China, can stretch for years.)
As we move forward to explore the annual quota for employment-based green cards, it’s important to understand how these limitations impact the overall immigration landscape and the strategies applicants might employ to navigate the system effectively.
How Many Green Cards Are Available Each Year?
Annual Quota for Employment-Based Green Cards
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) sets an annual cap for employment-based green cards. The employment-based (EB) annual limit for fiscal year (FY) 2025 will be higher than was typical before the pandemic, though lower than in FY 2021-2024. (The actual number issued may differ from this cap due to processing times and other variables.)
Breakdown of Preference Categories
The green cards are distributed among five preference categories:
- EB-1: 28.6%
- EB-2: 28.6%
- EB-3: 28.6%
- EB-4: 7.1%
- EB-5: 7.1%
These numbers are not fixed and can shift based on demand and other immigration policies. If one category doesn’t use all its allocated visas, those numbers can be redistributed to other categories.
Country Caps and Their Impact
A significant factor affecting the distribution of these green cards is the per-country limit. No single country can receive more than 7% of the total number of employment-based and family-sponsored preference visas available in a given year.
This cap particularly affects applicants from countries with high demand, such as India and China. As a result, skilled workers from these countries often face longer wait times, sometimes extending to decades for certain categories.
Strategies for Navigating the Quota System
Given these limitations, applicants should develop strategies to navigate the system effectively:
- Consider alternative visa categories: If you face a long wait in one category, explore if you qualify for a different category with shorter wait times.
- Pursue advanced degrees: Higher education can potentially qualify you for EB-2 or even EB-1 categories, which often have shorter backlogs.
- Stay informed about policy changes: Immigration policies can shift, potentially affecting quota distributions. Keeping abreast of these changes can help you adjust your strategy accordingly.
The complex nature of these quota systems and their impact on individual cases underscores the importance of understanding how various factors can affect the availability of employment-based green cards. This knowledge forms the foundation for exploring the numerous factors that influence the actual number of green cards issued each year.
What Affects Green Card Issuance Numbers?
Processing Times and Backlogs
USCIS processing times vary significantly across different employment-based categories and can greatly impact the number of green cards issued in a given year. As of 2025, some categories face substantial backlogs, particularly for applicants from countries with high demand like India and China.
The EB-2 category for India has a backlog stretching back to 2011, meaning applicants who filed their petitions in 2011 are only now becoming eligible for green card issuance. This extensive wait time not only affects individual applicants but also impacts the overall number of green cards that can be processed and issued within a fiscal year.
To mitigate the effects of these backlogs, applicants should consider alternative strategies. This might include exploring other visa categories or seeking opportunities in industries with shorter wait times. Employers can also play a role by offering support for premium processing or considering alternative visa options for their employees.
Unused Family-Based Green Card Rollover
A lesser-known factor affecting employment-based green card numbers is the rollover of unused family-based visas. When family-based green card quotas are not fully utilized in a given year, the unused numbers are added to the employment-based categories for the following fiscal year.
This rollover can significantly increase the number of employment-based green cards available. For example, in FY 2024, the annual limit for EB-1 visas is 28.6 percent of the worldwide employment limit.
Applicants and employers should stay informed about these potential increases, as they can create unexpected opportunities for faster processing in certain categories. However, it’s important to note that these increases are not guaranteed and can fluctuate from year to year.
COVID-19 Impact and Recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on green card issuance, creating both challenges and opportunities. During the height of the pandemic, visa processing slowed significantly due to office closures and travel restrictions. This led to a backlog of applications and a decrease in the number of green cards issued.
However, as operations have normalized, USCIS has worked to address these backlogs. New employment-sponsored LPRs remained elevated in 2023, reflecting the continuing shortfall in family-based arrivals in 2022.
The pandemic’s long-term effects on immigration policies and procedures continue to evolve. Applicants should stay informed about any policy changes or processing updates that may affect their cases. Employers should also prepare for potential fluctuations in processing times and adjust their hiring and retention strategies accordingly.
Strategies for Navigating the System
Given the complexities of the green card issuance process, applicants and employers can benefit from adopting strategic approaches:
- Consider alternative visa categories if facing long wait times in one category.
- Pursue advanced degrees to potentially qualify for EB-2 or EB-1 categories (which often have shorter backlogs).
- Stay informed about policy changes that may affect quota distributions.
- Seek professional legal assistance to navigate the complex process effectively. (The Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Thompson can provide expert guidance in this area.)
Impact of Legislative Changes
Legislative changes can significantly affect green card issuance numbers. New laws or amendments to existing immigration policies can alter quotas, processing procedures, or eligibility criteria. For example, recent proposals have aimed to increase the number of green cards available, especially for essential workers in critical industries.
Staying informed about these potential changes is essential for both applicants and employers. (Subscribe to reputable immigration news sources or consult with immigration attorneys to keep abreast of the latest developments.)
Final Thoughts
The annual issuance of employment-based green cards in the United States involves a complex process influenced by various factors. While the yearly cap for these visas is set at approximately 140,000, the actual number issued can fluctuate due to processing times, backlogs, and policy changes. The system faces significant challenges, including long wait times for applicants from countries with high demand and the impact of global events like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Understanding how many employment-based green cards are issued per year is essential for both employers and foreign workers who navigate the U.S. immigration system. The distribution across preference categories, country-specific limitations, and the potential rollover of unused family-based visas all affect the final numbers. These factors can lead to substantial variations in the actual number of green cards issued annually.
For those who navigate this complex landscape, professional guidance can provide invaluable assistance. The Law Offices of Jeffrey A. Thompson specializes in immigration law and offers expert assistance in understanding the nuances of employment-based green card applications. Our team stays up-to-date with the latest immigration policies and helps clients develop strategies to navigate the system effectively. (We encourage individuals to remain informed about changes that may affect green card issuance.)
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