&w=3840&q=100)
US green card delays worsen for Indians as immigration backlog hits 11.3 mn
The numbers come from the first major dataset published by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) since Donald Trump returned to the White House.
While the number of applications continued to rise, USCIS processed only 2.7 million cases during the quarter, down from 3.3 million in the same period last year. Even compared to the previous quarter alone, case completions fell by 12 per cent.
'There is zero per cent chance that processing times will speed up at any time under the Trump administration,' Charles Kuck, founding partner at Kuck Baxter Immigration in Atlanta told Business Standard.
'The consular processing is grinding to a halt and USCIS is intentionally slow walking almost all cases (except naturalisation and marriage cases),' he added.
Kuck also claimed that Trump adviser Stephen Miller had 'clearly ordered USCIS' to drag out cases to reduce the number of legal immigrants entering the US.
Green card forms caught in delays
This backlog is not just a number—it's already affecting key immigration forms used by green card applicants and workers:
Form I-90 (green card replacement): Average wait time jumped from 0.8 months to over 8 months in just one quarter, a 938 per cent rise.
Form I-765 (employment authorisation): Pending initial applications climbed 87 per cent. Total pending forms, including renewals and reissues, now exceed 2 million, up from 1.2 million.
Net backlog for I-765s—cases outside normal processing times, rose nearly 181 per cent.
Form I-765 is especially important for green card applicants as it lets them work legally in the US while their permanent residency is under process. Delays in issuing these employment authorisation documents (EADs) can leave applicants unable to work or facing employment gaps.
Renewals are also being affected, putting continuing employment at risk even for those already in the system.
Form I-90, on the other hand, is for current green card holders who need a replacement due to expiry, loss or damage.
'Backlogs can significantly delay approvals for both initial petitions and extensions, creating uncertainty for employers and foreign workers alike. In some cases, visa holders may be forced to pause travel or employment plans while awaiting adjudication,' Michael Wildes, managing partner at WILDES & WEINBERG PC told Business Standard.
'Indian green card applicants, already facing long wait times due to per-country limits, may see even further delays in adjudication of adjustment of status or consular interviews,' he said. 'These delays can affect work authorisation renewals and create added stress for families waiting to reunite.'
Why is the backlog growing?
Kuck believes the delays are deliberate. 'It's not a funding issue,' he said. Instead, he pointed to reduced staffing and an intentional slowdown.
Wildes explained that the pile-up is 'largely driven by insufficient staffing, outdated processing systems, and inconsistent policy shifts that strain agency resources.' He added that growing application volumes and tight budgets were making the situation worse.
What should applicants expect now?
'Be prepared for LONG delays at USCIS and the consulate. Make sure you are prepared for consular and USCIS interviews, and always bring a lawyer with you,' said Kuck.
He urged green card seekers to hire experienced immigration counsel. 'Get a good lawyer who will tell you the truth. Listen to your lawyer,' he said.
Wildes added, 'Unless there is a meaningful increase in staffing, technological efficiency, or congressional support, delays are likely to persist. Recent performance suggests systemic issues that won't be fixed overnight.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
‘Purchased' honorary titles, international web of shell firms: How Ghaziabad conman operated fake embassy for 9 yrs
A pristine white bungalow, four flashy sedans with blue and white diplomatic number plates parked in the driveway, national flags from across the world and a man posing as an 'ambassador'. When Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) raided the 'Embassy of Westarctica' in Ghaziabad's upscale Kavi Nagar neighbourhood earlier this week, they came across an elaborate con job. Far from an an ordinary swindler, Harsh Vardhan Jain, the accused, had been running a fake embassy of a country that doesn't exist, without raising any suspicion for the last nine years. Jain had planned every detail meticulously to build this façade, according to the police. He had allegedly printed fake press cards, doctored photos with top dignitaries and even 'purchased' honorary titles from self-proclaimed micronations. The preliminary investigation, police say, has revealed that Jain was running a multi-nation scam. How did Jain manage to execute such a fraud, undetected for years, right beneath the vigilant gaze of the local Ghaziabad Police is yet to be revealed. How Jain's fake embassy operation was finally exposed is also unknown. According to the UPSTF, Jain is a Ghaziabad-born MBA graduate who claims to have studied in London. His father, JD Jain, was a once reputed industrialist, with marble export businesses operating in Rajasthan. In the early 2000s, Jain reportedly came in contact with self-styled godman Chandraswami, who allegedly introduced him to arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and Ehsan Ali Syed, another conman posing as a businessman who was convicted in a fraud case in Switzerland. With their help, Jain is said to have established more than a dozen companies in Dubai, London, and Mauritius — many of them shell firms used to collect 'brokerage' for jobs and promises of huge loans before duping them. After a few years in London and Dubai, Jain allegedly returned to India in 2011 and began projecting himself as a diplomat. Police say he leveraged honorary titles from unrecognised micronations — Seborga, Westarctica, and Lodonia — to set up a fake embassy in his Ghaziabad home. He had also been posing as the ambassador of a fictional nation called Poulvia. When STF officers entered the Kavi Nagar bungalow on July 22, they found what appeared to be a diplomatic mission: cars with blue number plates bearing phrases like 'Honorary Consul – Baron Westarctica', flags of different nations on the property, and signages that were creating the illusion of official legitimacy. Inside, they recovered over Rs 44 lakh in Indian currency, foreign currency from the United Kingdom, United States, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey, 20 sets of fake diplomatic number plates, 34 stamps and seals of various fake entities,12 passports (some from unrecognized nations), Fake IDs including press cards and two PAN cards, a laptop, phone, and over a dozen luxury watches. Jain had been running the operation, STF officials said, by posing as a diplomatic representative allegedly by using the fake IDs and doctored photos. His setup included 'morphed' images showing him with late President APJ Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other leaders, in an attempt to look credible. Through this lavish setup, he had allegedly been luring individuals and companies with promises of jobs and international business deals. To outsiders, the 'embassy' appeared credible, complete with red and green diplomatic license plates and signage that implied ties with multiple global institutions. Officials said he even issued bogus 'diplomatic passports' from micronations and collected money as 'fees' with promises of providing employment in these micronations. Micronations are self-proclaimed countries not recognised by any sovereign state. While any associations with these micronations are often symbolic, Jain had allegedly used his associations with them to create an aura of legitimacy. Seborga, one of the micronations of which he had been posing as an ambassador, is a self-declared principality in Italy. In its statement, it said that it appointed Jain as an honorary councilor in good faith after he had contacted them. The statement also clarified that it was a symbolic post with no legal or diplomatic standing. The principality said that over the years Jain had aso 'recommended individuals to represent Seborga in India' some of whom had been appointed by the micronation. Westarctica, which claims to be a non-profit organisation working towards the cause of preserving the Antarctic ice sheet, confirmed that Jain was given the honorary title of 'Consul to India' after he made a donation in 2016. However, he violated protocol by calling his residence an embassy and printing unauthorised materials like diplomatic number plates and passports, according to a statement. 'He was indefinitely suspended,' the group said in a statement. Ladonia, another micronation, which claims to provide a cultural identity for people who believe in free speech and artistic expression and has clear boundaries but mostly 'non-resident' citizens denied any ties with Jain. forged documents to claim he was its Ambassador to India and harassed officials after they refused to recognize him. In a detailed response to questions asked by The Indian Express, Ladonia's Press Officer, Julia Andersson, said Jain became a 'symbolic citizen' on November 12, 2016, and had 'purchased' an honorary barony title. The micronation alleged that in November 2017, Jain had forged a certificate falsely claiming to be Ladonia's Ambassador to India, backdating it to September 15, 2016, in an attempt to predate the symbolic appointment of another Indian individual and had been 'harrassing' its officials by spamming them with texts and mails requesting for Ladonian paraphernalia, a request that was denied by the micronation. According to STF and police officials, Jain's network spanned multiple countries. He alleegdly maintained 11 bank accounts in the UK, UAE, Mauritius, and India; set up shell firms like Island General Trading Co. LLC (Dubai), East India Company UK Ltd and State Trading Corporation Ltd (UK); claimed to help clients get international contracts or jobs abroad; charged hefty 'brokerage'and used these fake diplomatic affiliations that he had purchased to appear credible enough to seek business clients. Police sources said that he made over 30 trips to the UAE alone and visited over 40 countries in the past decade to build a globe-trotting con operation. Police are currently trying to determine the number of people defrauded. An FIR (No. 671/2025) has been registered at Kavi Nagar police station under sections 318(4), 336(3), 338, and 340(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, relating to forgery, impersonation, and cheating. Jain was remanded to judicial custody on July 23, where the STF seeked custodial remand to trace the full extent of his hawala network. Officials also said that the Income Tax Department would be informed about the seized cash and foreign currency. Further investigation is on into his multiple PAN cards, international accounts, and fake documentation.
Indian Express
22 minutes ago
- Indian Express
India unlikely to import US genetically modified agricultural items under trade deal: Sources
During the ongoing trade negotiations, India is unlikely to agree to US demands to accept genetically modified (GM) agricultural products such as corn and soya, a source closely monitoring the talks has indicated. 'Some things are matters of principle. We can't import GM,' the source said in response to a query over the government's position on GM imports from the US. This assumes significance since agriculture remains one of the contentious issues between the two countries, and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has previously flagged restrictions on its GM products by countries as discriminatory. 'The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 includes specific provisions for regulating food products derived from genetically engineered (GE) sources; however, as of December 31, 2024, the FSSAI was still in the process of establishing its regulations. India's biotechnology approval processes are slow, opaque, and subject to political influences, and do not appear to take into account science-based approval processes for GE products in exporting countries,' the USTR report had said. While India is seeking greater market access for its textiles, leather and footwear, the US is pushing for access to India's agricultural and dairy markets — a major hurdle, as Indian farmers often operate on small land parcels with limited technological support. In contrast, the US has demanded that India should drop its GM regulation. There is significant resistance to genetically modified (GM) crops in India. Only one GM crop — Bt cotton — is approved for cultivation. No GM food crop is commercially grown, although experimental trials continue. However, imports of GM soybean oil and canola oil are permitted. A 2013 report by the European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER) emphasised that many studies deeming GM foods safe were industry-funded, and that long‑term, independent studies were lacking. New Delhi‑based think tank GTRI said: 'Environmental studies have shown that widespread use of Bt crops can lead to pest resistance, such as in the pink bollworm, and pose risks to non‑target species such as monarch butterflies, as suggested in a 1999 Nature study. Additionally, the overuse of glyphosate with herbicide-tolerant GM crops has led to 'superweeds' and increased herbicide use.' The GTRI said that GM and non‑GM crops may intermingle at various stages of the supply chain — during transport, storage or processing. 'Once GM material enters, there is a high risk it could leak into local farming systems or processed food chains, posing risks to food safety, environmental integrity, and India's export reputation — especially in GM‑sensitive markets such as the EU,' the think tank warned. It said the import of GM products, such as animal feed, could negatively affect India's agricultural exports to the EU, which enforces strict GM-labelling rules and faces strong consumer opposition to GM‑linked products. Although GM feed is permitted, many European buyers prefer fully GM‑free supply chains. India's fragmented agri‑logistics and lack of segregation infrastructure increase the likelihood of cross‑contamination and trace GM presence in export consignments. This could result in shipment rejections, higher testing costs, and erosion of India's GM‑free image, particularly in sectors such as rice, tea, honey, spices and organic foods, the GTRI said. Ravi Dutta Mishra is a Principal Correspondent with The Indian Express, covering policy issues related to trade, commerce, and banking. He has over five years of experience and has previously worked with Mint, CNBC-TV18, and other news outlets. ... Read More
Hans India
22 minutes ago
- Hans India
Trade talks with US progressing well: FM Sitharaman
New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that trade talks with the US is progressing well. Her comment comes ahead of the US President Donald Trump's country-specific tariffs scheduled to take effect from August 1. During a book release programme in the national capital, FM Sitharaman said the trade talks with both US and UK are shaping well. 'I can't comment if bilateral trade is good or bad, but we are moving forward on bilateral. Negotiations with the US, EU are progressing well," said FM Sitharaman, as per media reports. Earlier, Trump said that his administration will have most of its trade deals with countries finished by August 1. During a press availability at the White House, Trump also said his administration might send close to 200 countries a letter on their tariff rate, which he said means, "They have a deal. It's done." "August 1 is going to come, and we will have most of our deals finished, if not all," Trump told reporters before embarking on a trip to Scotland, Yonhap news agency reported. "When those letters go out ... the page and a half ... That means they have a deal. It's done," he said. "They pay that tariff and that is the contract essentially." Meanwhile, India this week signed free trade agreement (FTA) with UK. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal hailed the India-UK free FTA called it as a 'game-changing' deal that provides immense opportunities and benefits to farmers, businessmen, MSME sectors, young professionals and fishermen. 'India's Cabinet has already approved the India-UK FTA and now after UK's parliament ratification process is completed, the agreement will be operational,' he said at a press briefing here. According to the Commerce Minister, of all the FTAs India has signed, the one with the UK is the "biggest, most comprehensive, and most important". 'India-UK signed a win-win FTA in favour of both nations involved after almost 22-23 years of talks,' he said. The agreement, called Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), secures unprecedented duty-free access for 99 per cent of India's exports to the UK, covering nearly the entire trade basket.
