Is H‑1B Visa Better Than a Green Card for Indian Students in the US?
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Is H‑1B Visa Better Than a Green Card for Indian Students in the US?

Prabhjyot KaurUpdated on 29 Sep 2025, 04:42 PM IST

Thinking whether to go for an H‑1B visa or go straight for a Green Card as an international student in US? It is a dilemma for Indian students who get confused about the H1B visa and the Green Card in USA. We have got them covered! To finally make a decision on whether is US H1B visa better than the Green Card, we need to break both down. With the increasing restrictions on H-1B visa sponsorship under Trump administration, such as a visa fee hike of $1,00,000 and tough requirements, students often consider a Green Card a better option to study and work in US. However, both a Green Card and an H-1B visa are important aspects of US immigration used for different purposes and hence provide different benefits. However, the processing time is quite slow for US immigration visas. In 2025, the US backlog of visas is at 11.3 million pending cases across all categories, slowing everything—including Green Cards.

This Story also Contains

  1. What is US H1B Visa for Indian Students?
  2. What is Green Card for Indian Students?
  3. Difference Between H1B Visa Vs Green Card in USA: Which is Better?
  4. Conclusion: Which is Better: H1B Or Green Card?
Is H‑1B Visa Better Than a Green Card for Indian Students in the US?
Is H‑1B Visa Better Than a Green Card for Indian Students in the US?

To compare both and make a decision of whether H‑1B is better than a Green Card, one might give you faster entry, but the other gives you long-term freedom. So, which one to go for? This is the top visa confusion most Indian graduates in USA face after completing their studies. Let us now check which one is better between Green Card and H1B visa for Indian students amid the ongoing immigration crisis in the US under the Trump administration policies through this article. Read the complete article to make a concrete decision about is H1B better than Green Card in US for Indian students in 2026.

Related Reads:

What is US H1B Visa for Indian Students?

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa in US that offers American companies a chance to hire international students/workers for special professions requiring at least a bachelor's degree or the equivalent. Currently, the H1B visa is under high scrutiny and uncertainty due to anti-immigration policies imposed by the Trump government. It is a temporary work visa allowing international hiring for speciality jobs, especially in tech, finance, healthcare, and engineering. Typically, it is your legal visa allowing you to stay and work in the US after your F1 visa expiration.

Latest Updates on H1B Visa in USA

  • The Trump administration has recently imposed an H-1B visa fee hike to $100,000 for new applications. US employers are reconsidering HIB sponsorship due to increased financial liability.

  • In FY 2025, there were 423,028 H‑1B applications for only 85,000 available spots.

  • With the selection rate of around 20%, the H1B is quite competitive for international students. Moreover, 73% of the H1B visa sponsorship was landed by Indian students, making it more challenging.

  • With proposals like HIRE Act and Dignity Act in US, international students can consider H1B visa as not a very good choice for now.

  • Even top tech grads from MIT or Stanford can get rejected if they don’t win the H‑1B lottery.

Also Read: Why Indian Students Leaving US For The First Time?

What is Green Card for Indian Students?

Unlike the H1B visa in US, a Green Card, commonly known as a Permanent Resident Card, is a legal document that allows you to live and work in the US indefinitely. It is a pathway towards IS citizenship. After completing a course from US university or college, Indian students can get the Green Card indirectly, but the requirements are quite different and rare. International students do not have a direct pathway to have Green Card US after graduation. To be eligible for a Green Card after completing US course, students must satisfy any one of the following:

Green Card Eligibility

  • Marry a US citizen

  • Sponsorship by an employer under EB1, EB2, or EB3 categories

  • Get extraordinary talent-based visas like EB‑1A

  • Apply via National Interest Waiver (NIW) if their work benefits the US

Latest Updates on US Green Card

  • There are more than 1.2 million Indian citizens who are currently waiting for the decisions regarding employment-based Green Cards in 2025.

  • The case processing for Green Cards is quite slow for Indians, with the visa bulletin for EB‑2 India is still stuck around 2012, and EB‑3 India is around 2013.

  • In July, a new cap was introduced for EB‑1 India, making it stop till October 2025.

  • This shows that even if the US company files for a Green Card sponsorship for you, the processing time in between is quite lengthy, making you wait for years.

Difference Between H1B Visa Vs Green Card in USA: Which is Better?

Check the table below to understand the key differences between H‑1B vs Green Card. Indian students can then make a solid decision on which is better for them:

Aspects

H1B Visa

Green Card

Processing Time

Faster

Very Slow

Job Security

One can lose their H1B visa status if they get fired

It is stable on the US Green Card for Indians

Job Change Flexibility

Depends on employer and transfer restrictions, if any

Indians on a Green Card are free to switch jobs anytime.

Risks in Travel

Risky during renewal period

Stability with no such risks

Note: H‑1B is better than Green Card for to start the process of staying and working in US job market fast. On the other hand, Green Card is better than H1B visas to settle in US permanently.

Conclusion: Which is Better: H1B Or Green Card?

The end decision on whether to go for H1B visa or a Green Card in US is on Indian students. Both visas offer different benefits and are used for different purposes. Hence, we can not consider H1B better than Green Card or the other way around. Majorly, H‑1B is the first step towards a career in US job market after graduation for Indian students.

On the other hand, a Green Card is the final goal that allows international students to live and work permanently in USA. The H1B visa is faster to get, but comes with different restrictions and scrutiny. Green Card, on the other hand, is very slowly processed and is highly competitive for Indians. So, typically, students prefer to go for H1B first and then plan ahead for Green Card ultimately. However, the decision still depends on personal choices.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How many Indians get H-1B per year?
A:

On average, Indians make up around 71% of H-1B holders in USA currently. In the last FY 2024, there were around 2,07,000 H1B visas issued to Indian citizens on OPT/OPT-STEM/CPT programs.

Q: Is a Green Card better than H-1B?
A:

In terms of benefits, Green Card is better than H1B. Green Card holders can work and stay in US permanently without restrictions. On the other hand, H1B workers are restricted and must comply with the requirements to work in US job market on H1B sponsorship. Still, Green Card is a long term process with intense competition and no direct path for international students. H1B is a first step after graduation in US to enter the US job market legally after F1 expiry. Hence, H1B is better than Green Card in terms of processing.

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To study at foreign universities/abroad in U. S , the admission process will require the candidate to give one language exam and one standardized exam. However, depending on the country, course, college, or university you are applying for you may be exempted from standardized exams. The language test will showcase your English proficiency skills. These exams are required for pursuing almost all courses abroad. Different countries have different language exams such as

  • TOEFL exam for getting admission to the universities in the US and Canada. The score of this exam is valid for two years after the declaration of results
  • There are plenty of universities abroad where you can apply to do master-level course, MSc in statistics, MSc in Operation Research, and Applied Mathematics, MSc in Mathematical Modeling, etc are some of the Master level Course in Mathematics that are available abroad. Students who have completed their graduation or bachelor's degree in Mathematics can apply for these courses. Foreign universities like Uppsala University, Dublin City University, Oxford Brookes University, University of York, University of Liverpool, etc offer all the above-mentioned courses in mathematics.

Top university of The USA for master degree courses

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You can get the detailed information about the process how to apply for MS in USA. read the given article. Link is given below

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Hope it's helpful for you..

Thank you

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