One of the most popular ways to obtain a green card is through family members that are either United States Citizens or Legal Permanent Residents. The process itself is generally two steps, with the first step being a United States citizen or Legal Permanent Resident must first file a family visa petition to establish a connection to the foreign relative they wish to petition for. The second step involves the foreign national relative filing for a petition to become a Legal Permanent Resident. The process while at first glance seems simple, comes with many different legal and documentation issues that may prolong or even terminate a petition. Just the first family visa petition can vary anywhere in processing time from 6 months to 38 months depending on the family member that is petitioning. The second petition for Legal Permanent Residence can vary anywhere from 8 months to 14 months, with factors such as family, employment, asylum, etc. greatly affecting times and whether or not a petition may even be approved. It is important to do proper research or obtain professional legal consultation to ensure the fastest path and the safest path toward a green card.