Family and employment based applicants. The DOS offers an Annual Report of immigration visa applicants in both the family and employment based on preferential categories. Family-based green card applicants under this category may also experience quite a long processing time of up to 12 months and above. And in some cases, it may be as long as 5 to 10 years. Processing times can be a lot longer if your application is incomplete or contains errors. Employment-Based Adjustment of Status is the path that many foreign nationals currently living in the U.S. choose to take if they have secured a job at which their employer is willing to sponsor their petition for a green card. This is the fastest way to immigrate. Within the next two years, you must contact the USCIS again with proof of the validity of the marriage.