Why do Indian students still choose to study and work in the USA despite the long EB-2/EB-3 green card backlog?

You will find that most Indian students no longer chase the US primarily for a green card, but for the immediate financial upside a US salary delivers compared to an Indian one. Tech and engineering graduates commonly start at $100,000 to $150,000, which lets many clear heavy education loans within one and a half to three years despite a multi-decade wait for permanent residency. The three year STEM OPT window gives you a real work runway even if the H-1B lottery does not favor you.

Why The Financial Math Still Works

Alternative Paths Beyond The EB-2 or EB-3 Queue

• High achievers later shift to the EB-1 extraordinary ability category through senior roles or published research.
• Global employers sometimes transfer staff to offices in Canada, Europe, or the UK if US work authorization runs out.
• Wealthy professionals occasionally pursue the EB-5 investor visa route once they have built sufficient savings.
• Many return to booming Indian tech hubs like Bengaluru or Hyderabad as senior hires if their US plans do not pan out.

My Advice

Go into your US plan treating the green card as a bonus, not the goal, and build your financial plan entirely around the guaranteed three year STEM OPT window. Keep a genuine backup plan for returning to India's tech hubs at a senior level, so an unfavorable H-1B lottery outcome does not derail your career or your loan repayment.