The United States government has outlined two major family-based immigrant visa categories available to foreign nationals seeking permanent residence in the country through qualifying family relationships.

 

The categories are Immediate Relative visas and Family Preference visas, according to the US Department of State’s September 2026 Visa Bulletin obtained from its website on Tuesday.

 

The department said foreign nationals seeking to immigrate to the United States through family sponsorship must obtain an immigrant visa and meet the requirements applicable to their respective categories.

 

Under the Immediate Relative category, eligible applicants include spouses of US citizens, unmarried children below the age of 21 of US citizens, and parents of US citizens who are at least 21 years old.

 

The department said visas in the Immediate Relative category are not subject to an annual numerical limit.

 

The Family Preference category, however, covers certain family relationships with US citizens and lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders.

 

It 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 qualified applicants may have to wait until visas become available based on their priority dates.

 

The September 2026 Visa Bulletin confirmed that family-sponsored preference immigrants remain subject to annual numerical limits and priority-date requirements.

 

The bulletin stated, “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 identified 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 listed the final action date for F1 applicants from all chargeability areas except countries separately listed as January 22, 2020.

 

It gave August 22, 2026 as the F2A final action date, while the F2B final action date was August 22, 2019.

 

The final action date for F3 was October 22, 2014, while that of F4 was October 22, 2011, for the same group of chargeability areas.

 

The State Department provides separate final action dates for applicants chargeable to China, India, Mexico and the Philippines because of country-specific visa limits and demand.

 

For Nigerians seeking permanent residence in the US through family sponsorship, the distinction between the two categories is significant.

 

While Immediate Relative visas are not subject to an annual numerical cap, Family Preference visas are limited by the number of visas available each fiscal year, making priority dates a key factor in determining when eligible applicants can proceed.

 

The department also cautioned that visa availability could change during the fiscal year, adding that retrogression might become necessary if demand increases or annual numerical limits are reached.