Green card application process can be a long wait for foreigners who want to obtain legal permanent residency, but 55,000 lucky applicants win each year to obtain a green card quickly, with no strings attached. 

Green card applications have swelled to at least 8 million last year, and the millions of green card applicants compete for 55,000 vacancies to obtain a green card, which is given randomly through a green card lottery each year.

The green card application process has been a long one for hopeful foreigners, as there is often a long wait that is involved. The length of the waiting period for a green card application is dependent upon the applicant's country of origin and his or her individual situation regarding employment or family.

The green card application process is the shortest for those who quickly win the lottery and are offered legal permanent residency in the U.S. for the winner along with his or her spouses and children. However, the odds of winning this lottery are extremely small.

Some of the 8 million foreigners who applied for the green card as a way to obtain legal permanent residency in the United States may be undocumented, illegal immigrants who seek to become legal ones. There are approximately 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States.

Other hopeful foreigners who submit green card applications are either skilled workers who come from other nations and want to work high-tech jobs in the United States, or family relatives who want to join their other family members who have already immigrated to America.

The green card application process seems to be a shorter wait for spouses as well as children who are not married and are at least 21 years old. These individuals often only have to wait for around 2 years.

Green card applicants who are employment-based may need to wait for a period ranging from zero to four years, depending on the economic demand for skilled workers.