8 USC § 1204 - Immediate relative and special immigrant visas

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t8/s1204"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "8 USC § 1204 - Immediate relative and special immigrant visas"
title_number: 8
title_name: "ALIENS AND NATIONALITY"
section_number: "1204"
section_name: "Immediate relative and special immigrant visas"
chapter_number: 12
chapter_name: "IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "IMMIGRATION"
part_number: "III"
part_name: "Issuance of Entry Documents"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 3, § 224, 66 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 89–236, § 11(d), Oct. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 918.)"
---


# § 1204. Immediate relative and special immigrant visas

section 1201 of this title

A consular officer may, subject to the limitations provided in , issue an immigrant visa to a special immigrant or immediate relative as such upon satisfactory proof, under regulations prescribed under this chapter, that the applicant is entitled to special immigrant or immediate relative status.

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**Source Credit**: (June 27, 1952, ch. 477, title II, ch. 3, § 224, 66 Stat. 195; Pub. L. 89–236, § 11(d), Oct. 3, 1965, 79 Stat. 918.)

## Editorial Notes

### References in Text

This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original, “this Act”, meaning , , known as the Immigration and Nationality Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under  and Tables.

### Amendments

1965— struck out reference to sections 1154 and 1155 of this title and substituted “special immigrant or immediate relative” for “nonquota immigrant”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 1965 Amendment

For effective date of amendment by , see , set out as a note under .