US green card approvals drop 35%, Indians hardest hit

US green card approvals for EB-1A extraordinary-skilled workers have dropped 35% in the first two quarters of fiscal year 2026, with Indian applicants facing the steepest decline, according to data from Boundless Immigration cited by the Times of India. Approvals for Indians fell to 35% from 49.1% in FY25. In FY25, Indians filed 14,250 petitions with 6,993 approved and 1,474 denied, in the first two quarters of FY26, they filed 7,316 petitions with 2,571 approved and 1,131 denied.

Immigration experts say the drop is most pronounced among Indian technology workers. Joel Yanovich, Senior Attorney at Ganey Law Group, said adjudicators are demanding an unreasonably high bar despite no change in law. Boundless CEO Xiao Wang said meeting three of ten USCIS criteria is no longer sufficient, with one additional high-quality criterion now required. With EB-2 and EB-3 backlogs stretching up to 15 years, Indian nationals are exploring alternatives such as EB-1C, EB-5, or relocating to Canada or the UK.

The Millennium Post editorial frames the drop within a broader anxiety over Trump-era immigration policies, noting that Indian professionals, students and visa holders face prolonged uncertainty. It argues that the US economy depends on global talent and that restrictive policies could damage innovation. It also urges India to create stronger domestic research and employment opportunities rather than rely on exporting talent.