The United States government has outlined two main family-based immigrant visa categories for foreign nationals seeking to live permanently in the country through qualifying family relationships.
The two types are Immediate Relative visas and Family Preference visas.
To qualify, the US Department of State said foreign citizens must obtain an immigrant visa and meet the specific requirements for their category.
This was contained in the department’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin obtained from its website on Tuesday.
The Immediate Relative category covers spouses of US citizens, unmarried children under 21 of US citizens, and parents of US citizens who are at least 21 years old.
Immediate Relative visas are not subject to an annual numerical limit.
The Family Preference category covers certain family relationships with US citizens and lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders.
The department said the category includes unmarried sons and daughters aged 21 or older of US citizens, spouses and unmarried children of lawful permanent residents, married sons and daughters of US citizens, and brothers and sisters of adult US citizens.
Unlike Immediate Relative visas, Family Preference visas are subject to annual numerical limits, meaning eligible applicants may have to wait for a visa to become available.
The State Department’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin confirms that family-sponsored preference visas remain subject to these limits and priority dates.
The fiscal year 2026 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants is 226,000.
The bulletin states: “The fiscal year 2026 limit for family-sponsored preference immigrants determined in accordance with Section 201 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) is 226,000.”
It lists “five family-sponsored preference categories: F1 for unmarried sons and daughters of US citizens; F2A for spouses and children of permanent residents; F2B for unmarried sons and daughters aged 21 or older of permanent residents; F3 for married sons and daughters of US citizens; and F4 for brothers and sisters of adult US citizens.”
For September, the bulletin lists “the final action date for F1 applicants from all chargeability areas except those separately listed as January 22, 2020. The F2A final action date is August 22, 2026, while F2B is August 22, 2019.”
The final action date for F3 is October 22, 2014, while F4 is October 22, 2011, for the same group of chargeability areas.
The bulletin provides separate dates for applicants chargeable to China, India, Mexico and the Philippines because of country-specific visa limits and demand.
For Nigerians seeking to relocate to the US through family sponsorship, the distinction between the two categories is important because Immediate Relative visas are not subject to the annual numerical cap, while Family Preference visas are.
The bulletin also notes that visa availability may change during the fiscal year and that retrogression may become necessary if demand increases or annual limits are reached.
