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Every immigrant visa beneficiary falls into a category determined by the beneficiary’s family tie to the American citizen or Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) petitioner, or by the type of work they will do in the United States, in the case of employment-based visas. There are two broad types of categories:

1. Categories for which Congress has set no annual numerical limit for the number of beneficiaries that can enter the United States each year. These categories include certain family members of American citizen petitioners.
2. Categories for which Congress has established annual numerical limits for the number of beneficiaries that can enter the United States each year. These categories include certain family members of American citizens, certain family members of LPRs, and individuals moving to the United States for certain employment purposes.

Each year, in some immigrant visa categories, the number of beneficiaries with approved petitions exceeds the numerical limit established by Congress for that visa category. As a result, beneficiaries in these categories must wait until an allotted space opens before an interview can be scheduled for them at the Embassy’s Consular Section. This waiting period can be as long as several years, depending on the beneficiary’s visa category and the country they are from. The Consulate in Lima posts waiting periods for these visas online, and updates the figures monthly. Please click here for this information.

The various categories of immigrant visas are defined below, with notes indicating which are subject to the annual limits.

The spouse and unmarried children of US citizens who qualify for the K3 and K4 visas will be able to visit and reside with their US citizen family member.