An Indian tech professional, stuck in the EB2 green card backlog for over a decade, has taken to Reddit to share their mounting frustration with the U.S. immigration system—and the surprising alternative they recently discovered.
The anonymous poster, currently in the U.S. on an H-1B visa, said they’ve spent the last 10 years in a repetitive cycle of visa renewals, PERM resets, and dashed hopes as the priority dates for Indian applicants moved slowly—or even backward. “The stress builds up,” they wrote. “I avoided changing jobs because I didn’t want to mess up my application. Skipped trips home because stamping felt risky. It’s exhausting feeling temporary for this long.”
This long wait has taken a personal toll. Despite being professionally settled, the uncertainty of permanent residency in the U.S. left them feeling “trapped.”
Out of desperation, the Redditor began exploring immigration options to other countries including Canada, Australia, and Germany. They considered hiring consultants but were quoted over $5,000 just for a review. Instead, they decided to take matters into their own hands.
“I worked through the immigration points systems, eligibility, costs, and timelines,” they wrote. What they found was eye-opening: they qualified for Canada’s Express Entry system with a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score of 472—well above recent cutoffs.
“I had no idea it was even an option until now,” they added, encouraging others facing similar stagnation to look into alternative pathways.
Their story has struck a chord with many in the Indian immigrant community, especially those on long-term work visas dealing with the U.S. green card backlog. According to data, Indian nationals under EB2 and EB3 categories face some of the longest waits—often spanning decades due to annual per-country caps.
With growing uncertainty in U.S. immigration reform and more competitive global migration programs elsewhere, this case reflects a larger trend of skilled immigrants re-evaluating where they build their future.