Thousands of Worker Green Cards Went Unused Amid Pandemic Delays

About 66,500 employment-based green cards went unused in fiscal 2021 as immigration agencies struggled with the impact of the pandemic and more stringent Trump-era policies.

Roughly 262,000 employment-based green cards were available under the fiscal year limit, according to data published this week by the State Department. The agency said Covid-19 restrictions and staffing challenges reduced the capacity of embassies and consulates to process applications in the last fiscal year. A USCIS spokesman said employment-based green card applications are one of the agency’s highest priority workloads.

Another 141,000 family-based green cards went unused out of a total 226,000 available, according ...