Why is there frequently an employment-based backlog related to Indian and Chinese nationals and is there anything that can be done to speed things up?
Lawful permanent residence is issued to individuals based on a complicated formula related to preference categories, world-wide quotas, and country specific quotas. Because the quota is the same for every country in the world, the larger countries with high levels of immigration to the U.S. obviously fill up first. Nothing can be done to prompt the U.S. State Department to grant an immigrant visa out of order. Therefore, great care should be taken with employment-based immigration cases to ensure that individuals are eligible for the highest preference category that they are qualified for and that the employer is willing to support. This analysis should begin at the nonimmigrant level when applying for H-1B or other status. For more on the current availability of employment-based immigrant visas go to the U.S. Department of State site on the web at http://www.state.gov/.
