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CR1 & IR1 Spouse Visas

There are 2 basic types of spouse visa that are used to bring a foreign spouse, whom you married overseas, into the United States; they are the CR1 and IR1 spouse visas. The length of time which you have been legally married will determine which visa will be issued, and Visa Services International is equipped to handle either one, with a proven track record of 100% success in the spouse visa service.

-The CR1 visa is issued to foreign spouses who have been married to their US spouse for less than 2 years, and is a conditional visa.

-The IR1 visa is issued in cases where the couple has been married for 2 years or longer.

The process begins with the US petitioner-spouse filing a petition with USCIS. The petition consists of 2 main forms:

       *I-130 Petition for Alien Relative

                            And

       *I-130a Supplemental Info for Alien Spouse.

In addition to these forms, there must be sufficient evidence of a legitimate marriage, and proof of an ongoing relationship prior to the marriage; a marriage certificate is required. There also must be at least 2 personal statements from third party individuals who attest to the validity of the relationship.

Contrary to popular belief, the spousal visa process takes considerably longer to obtain than a fiancé visa, and being married does not automatically guarantee visa issuance.

The spouse visa process takes, on average, over 1 year to complete, due to multiple factors:

  • The first factor is that more background info is required and the checks/balances are more stringent.

  • The second factor is that more than twice the numbers of spouse visas are applied for annually, as opposed to fiancé visas.

  • Yet another factor is that the I-130 form is used for ALL alien relatives, not just spouses; at the end of FY 2017, USCIS had a backlog of over 1 million pending applications on the I-130, which would include a host of spouse visas. During FY 2017, USCIS received over 200,000 of these applications every quarter!!

 

Once your application has been submitted & accepted by USCIS, chances are you will not receive any updates or notifications for 10 months…or longer. When the petition is finally approved, it will end up at the US embassy in your foreign spouses’ country, where they will appear for an interview, and subsequent visa issuance.

 

Prior to the interview, they will be required to undergo a medical exam, at a medical clinic designated by the US embassy abroad.

Upon successfully passing the interview, and receiving the visa, they will be able to depart for the United States; and, upon successfully entering the country, they will receive their Permanent Resident card (also known as a Green Card) shortly after their arrival.

If you are already married to a foreign spouse who resides overseas, and you are ready to initiate the process of bringing them home to the US, contact Visa Services International today, and let us put our experience to work for you with our spouse visa service.

CR1 Visa Service, Spouse Visa Service, CR1 Visa, IR1 Visa
CR1 Visa Service, Spouse Visa Service, CR1 Visa, IR1 Visa
CR1 Visa Service, Spouse Visa Service, CR1 Visa, IR1 Visa
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