The United States Government has outlined two main family-based immigrant visa categories available to foreign nationals seeking permanent residence through qualifying family relationships.
According to the US Department of State, foreign citizens seeking to live permanently in the country through family sponsorship must obtain an immigrant visa and meet the requirements for their respective category.
The two categories are Immediate Relative and Family Preference.
The Immediate Relative category is for people with close family relationships to US citizens. It covers spouses, unmarried children under 21 and parents of US citizens who are at least 21 years old. Unlike preference categories, the number of immigrants admitted through the Immediate Relative category is not subject to an annual numerical limit.
The Family Preference category covers certain more distant relatives of US citizens as well as specified relatives of lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders.
These visas are subject to annual numerical limits, meaning eligible applicants may have to wait for an immigrant visa to become available. 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.
For Nigerians and other foreigners hoping to relocate to the US through family sponsorship, the distinction between the two categories is important. Immediate relatives of US citizens are not subject to the annual numerical cap, while family-preference applicants are subject to visa availability and priority dates.
The September 2026 Visa Bulletin shows that family-sponsored preference visas remain subject to numerical limits and priority dates, with availability varying according to the category and applicant’s country of chargeability.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states that US citizens and lawful permanent residents can generally petition for eligible relatives by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. However, approval of an I-130 petition does not automatically grant permanent residence or mean the beneficiary can immediately immigrate.
Source: US Department of State and USCIS.
