Green card delays and visa backlog feared amid reported USCIS staff cuts
By Sanjana B — Bengaluru
Updated - April 14, 2025 at 09:03 PM.
Industry players say a slowdown in visa adjudication could lead to a talent crunch, which in turn could affect American firms’ global competitiveness.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) decision to reportedly layoff employees may disrupt visa processing, delay green card approvals, and hamper industries reliant on foreign talent. Industry experts said these layoffs pose a particular threat to Indian nationals, who form the largest applicant group for H-1B visas, while US industries—especially tech and healthcare—brace for a deepening talent crunch.
In a LinkedIn post, former USCIS Senior Advisor Doug Rand alleged that this week, the immigration agency’s employees received an email encouraging them to retire early or risk being terminated through an upcoming workforce reduction.
“If USCIS sheds employees, backlogs and processing times will shoot up. Members of Congress — Republicans and Democrats alike — will be inundated with calls from constituents desperate for help with languishing applications. Parents waiting to adopt a child. A US citizen waiting to bring their husband or wife home as a permanent resident. Hospitals in need of doctors. Growers in need of farmworkers. Millions of people, waiting,” he explained in the post.