Most comparisons of US visas list fees and processing times and stop there. For an Indian applicant that leaves out the number that matters most. The processing time on an EB-2 or EB-3 petition is how long the case takes to decide. The years you wait before a visa number is available come on top of it.
The table below shows the routes open to Indian citizens, with the government fee and processing time Transita holds for each.
US routes open to Indian citizens
| Route | Government fee | Processing | Salary floor | Leads to PR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-1B Specialty Occupation | $2,460 | 3–6 months | None set | Yes |
| L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Manager) | $1,385 | 1–3 months | None set | Yes |
| L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialized Knowledge) | $1,385 | 1–6 months | None set | Yes |
| O-1A Extraordinary Ability | $1,385 | 2–6 months | None set | Yes |
| F-1 Student + OPT/STEM-OPT | $535 | 1–4 months | None set | No |
| J-1 Research Scholar | $255 | 1–4 months | None set | No |
| EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Green Card) | $3,835 | 8–24 months | None set | Yes |
| EB-2 National Interest Waiver | $3,225 | 12–36 months | None set | Yes |
| EB-3 Skilled Worker (Green Card) | $2,805 | 18–60 months | None set | Yes |
3 US work routes are closed to Indian citizens by treaty: TN Visa (CUSMA/NAFTA), E-3 Visa, H-1B1 Specialty Occupation. If a guide suggests one of them, it was written for someone else.
The H-1B: the default, and a lottery
The H-1B covers specialty occupations with a US employer. The fee we hold is $2,460 and processing is 3–6 months once selected. Selection is the problem. USCIS figures (470k registrations / 85k cap visas, FY2025) show registrations running far above the cap.
You cannot improve your odds much on your own, so treat the H-1B as one ticket, not a plan. Our H-1B guide covers the lottery and what to do when you are not selected.
Routes that skip the lottery
If you work for a multinational with a US office, the L-1A transfer has no lottery. It needs a year with the company abroad, costs $1,385 and takes 1–3 months. Many Indian IT professionals reach the US this way.
The O-1A is for people with a record of extraordinary ability: awards, publications, press, high pay. It has no cap, costs $1,385 and takes 2–6 months. The F-1 student route ($535, 1–4 months) leads to OPT work authorisation, which is how many Indian graduates get a US job before entering the H-1B lottery.
Which US route fits your profile?
Transita checks your degree, experience and employer situation against every US pathway, and shows where the US ranks against other destinations for you. Answer 8 questions and your routes, documents and dates are set up for you. Free.
Build my workspaceThe green card queue for India-born applicants
Employment green cards have per-country annual limits. Because so many applicants are born in India, the India queue moves far slower than the queue for most other countries. Our data flags this on every affected route.
The EB-3 processing time we hold is 18–60 months, and the EB-2 NIW is 12–36 months. For an India-born applicant, those clocks only start to matter once a visa number is available. In our data's words for EB-3, applicants born in India can wait many years, in some periods over a decade.
The EB-1A ($3,835, 8–24 months) is the least backlogged employment category, though India-born applicants can still face a wait beyond the processing time. That is why Indian applicants with a strong record aim for it. The live wait for each category changes monthly, so check it in the State Department Visa Bulletin rather than any article, this one included.
Is the US still the right target?
If you want permanent residence within a few years, the US is a hard lane from India. Canada and the UK have no per-country queue. Compare the India to Canada routes and the India to UK routes, or see every US pathway on the Indian to US pathway list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common US work visa for Indians?
The H-1B. It needs a US employer, a specialty occupation and a degree, and it is capped and allocated by lottery. USCIS data (470k registrations / 85k cap visas, FY2025) shows how far demand exceeds the cap. The government fee Transita holds is $2,460.
Why do Indians wait so long for a US green card?
Employment green cards are subject to per-country annual limits, and the number of India-born applicants far exceeds India's share. The processing time covers adjudication only. For EB-2 and EB-3, applicants born in India wait many years for a visa number on top of that, and the live wait is published in the State Department Visa Bulletin each month.
Can Indians get a TN or E-3 visa?
No. TN Visa (CUSMA/NAFTA), E-3 Visa, H-1B1 Specialty Occupation are restricted by treaty to other nationalities. Indian citizens use the H-1B, L-1, O-1 or student routes instead.
Is there a US green card route without an employer for Indians?
Yes. The EB-1A (extraordinary ability) and EB-2 National Interest Waiver are self-petitioned. The EB-2 NIW still sits in the India-born EB-2 queue, so a self-petition removes the employer, not the wait.
How long until US citizenship from India?
Our country data records about 6 years to a green card on a typical employment route and about 11 years in total to citizenship eligibility. For India-born applicants in a backlogged category the green card step alone can take far longer.
Model the US against your other options
Transita ranks US routes for your profile and compares them with Canada, the UK, Australia and Germany in one pass. Answer 8 questions and your routes, documents and dates are set up for you. Free.
Build my workspaceofficial sources: H-1B · uscis.gov·H-1B success-rate data · uscis.gov·L-1A · uscis.gov·L-1B · uscis.gov·O-1A · uscis.gov·F-1 · travel.state.gov·J-1 · j1visa.state.gov·EB-1A · uscis.gov·EB-2 NIW · uscis.gov·EB-3 · uscis.gov