# United States family and employment immigration pathways > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/united-states-family-and-employment-immigration-pathways > Updated: 2026-09-01T15:15:31.000Z. Sources: 2. Developments: 2. United States immigration pathways for permanent residency are categorized into family-based and employment-based routes. Family-based immigration is the primary method for obtaining green cards, accounting for approximately 70% of new issuances. Within the family-based system, there are two distinct categories: Immediate Relative (IR) visas and Family Preference (FP) visas. IR visas, which cover spouses, children, and parents of U.S. citizens, are not subject to annual numerical caps. Conversely, FP visas for a broader range of relatives are subject to yearly limits, with the fiscal year 2026 cap set at 226,000. Employment-based visas provide roughly 140,000 annual slots across five preference categories, ranging from priority workers with extraordinary ability (EB-1) to investors (EB-5). Applicants must follow different procedures based on their location, utilizing adjustment of status if already in the U.S. or consular processing if abroad, while providing documentation to prove the legitimacy of relationships. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-01: United States outlines family-based visa pathways for permanent residency The U.S. government maintains two family-based visa pathways: Immediate Relatives, which have no numerical limits, and Family Preference visas, which are subject to annual caps. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/united-states-outlines-family-based-visa-pathways-for-permanent-residency ### 2026-08-06: United States immigration pathways: family reunification and work visas U.S. family‑based immigration supplies ~70 % of green cards via IR and capped FP visas, while employment‑based visas allocate ~140,000 slots across five EB categories for skilled workers and investors. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/united-states-immigration-pathways-family-reunification-and-work-visas --- Cite as: United States family and employment immigration pathways. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/united-states-family-and-employment-immigration-pathways