United States immigration pathways: family reunification and work visas

Family‑based immigration remains the dominant route to permanent residency in the United States, accounting for roughly 70 % of new green cards according to the Department of Homeland Security. The program, administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, offers two visa types: Immediate Relative (IR) visas, which have no annual cap and cover spouses, children, parents and certain other close relatives of U.S. citizens; and Family Preference (FP) visas, which are subject to yearly limits (226,000 caps for fiscal year 2026) and cover a broader range of relatives, including adult siblings and married children.

Employment‑based immigrant visas provide about 140,000 annual slots and are divided into five preference categories. EB‑1 targets priority workers with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors, researchers, and multinational executives. EB‑2 covers advanced‑degree professionals and individuals with exceptional ability, with a possible National Interest Waiver. EB‑3 includes skilled workers, professionals with bachelor’s degrees, and other workers. The remaining categories (EB‑4 and EB‑5) address special immigrants and investors, respectively. Spouses and children of principal beneficiaries may accompany or later join the primary applicant.