Jump to content
KSOLANO

CR-1/IR-1 What's the difference

 Share

9 posts in this topic

Recommended Posts

Filed: Timeline

My fiance and I will be married this July. He is a US citizen and I am Canadian. I plan to be in the states with him. After some research, we decided to go with the Spouse Visa and follow those procedures in order to permanently reside as a US citizen. However, I am hearing about this IR1/CR1 Spouse Visa for the first time and now feel a little confused. What exactly are the differences between the two and which one is best suited for my situation? Any helpful advice would be gladly appreciated. Thanks! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to VJ and to the boards !!

This site is great and can answer probably all of your questions with the postings and general information on here. You should get famliar with the guides as they help explain the difference between visas etc and how to proceed. Have a look.

The quick and dirty is that CR means conditional residency and IR means immediate relative. Both are relatively the same thing ie spousal visas but the CR1 visa is granted to those who have been married less than 2 years and the IR visa is granted to those married more than 2 years. That simple.

You mention you plan on marrying in July - congrats to you guys !! However, are you living in Canada at this stage? You can't marry and live together whlie filing for those visas ie CR1. If you are planning on being in the USA before and after you marry, you should be filing for a fiance visa. The CR1 visa applies only to those that are married not engaged. And once you marry, you file the required paperwork for the CR1 visa and then you have to leave the US or he leave Canada (depending on where you marry) and you wait the process. It is illegal to come in to the USA marry and remain in the country while you await the visa to be approved. You are allowed to enter to marry but you have to leave within a reasonable time after you marry.

If you want to be living in the USA and are engaged, apply for the fiance visa, wait for it's approval then go into the USA and you'll have 90 days in which to marry.

I don't want to overwhelm you with information. Start with the guides on here and review which visa is right for you etc and get a better understanding. Then post questions and go from there.

We got married in Dec 2009 and I'm still in Canada and my wife is a USC living there. We are getting close to the CR1 visa interview in Montreal - we filed late Dec/early Jan so it's been four months thus far and it'll be a few more months until we get the CR1 visa. The process is anywhere from 7 - 12 months.

Congrats and good luck,

2007 Nov 30: Met in Las Vegas, Nevada

2009 Jul 13: Proposed/Engaged in Sedona, Arizona

2009 Dec 26: Married in Tucson, Arizona

USCIS

2009 Dec 30: Filed I-130

2010 Jan 02: I-130 delivered

2010 Jan 07: NOA1 - email - CSC

2010 Jan 11: Received NOA1 hardcopy

2010 Mar 24: NOA2 - email & text - NVC

2010 Mar 29: Received NOA2 hardcopy

I-130 was approved in 76 days from NOA1 date

NVC

2010 Mar 30: NVC received - case# assigned - emails given to NVC

2010 Mar 30: Opted in - DS3032 emailed to NVC

2010 Mar 31: Received AOS bill & DS3032 - paid AOS

2010 Apr 05: Online payment portal confirms paid AOS(Apr 2 processing date)

2010 Apr 05: Sent I-864 package

2010 Apr 15: EP confirmation email

2010 Apr 15: IV bill generated & paid

2010 Apr 15: Email confirmation - receipt of DS3032

2010 Apr 16: IV bill confirmed paid - sent DS230 package

2010 Apr 19: NVC operator confirms I864 & DS230 documents have been received

2010 Apr 21: AVR confirms all documents received Apr 19th

2010 Apr 23: Email from NVC: case complete - confirmed by NVC - sign in fail

Completed in 24 days

CONSULATE

2010 May 27: Email from NVC - consulate received file - interview Montreal Jul 27th

2010 Jun 16: Medical @ Woking Medical Centre, Vancouver, Canada - APPROVED

2010 Jul 27: Interview @ US Consulate in Montreal, Canada - APPROVED

Your interview took 201 days from your I-130 NOA1 date

2010 Aug 13:POE Washington - APPROVED

REMOVAL OF CONDITIONS

2012 May 14 - mailed I-751

2012 May 16 - delivered @ CSC

2012 Jun 18 - I 551 stamp

2012 Jun 28 - biometrics appointment NOA notice date Jun 7

2012 Dec 20 - approved

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Other Country: China
Timeline

My fiance and I will be married this July. He is a US citizen and I am Canadian. I plan to be in the states with him. After some research, we decided to go with the Spouse Visa and follow those procedures in order to permanently reside as a US citizen. However, I am hearing about this IR1/CR1 Spouse Visa for the first time and now feel a little confused. What exactly are the differences between the two and which one is best suited for my situation? Any helpful advice would be gladly appreciated. Thanks! :)

IR1 is granted when the marriage has reached the second anniversary. Otherwise CR1 is granted. The CR1 visa holder gets a two year green card instead of a ten year and must "remove conditions" in the 3 months prior to card expiration. See the Removal of Conditions Guide.

Facts are cheap...knowing how to use them is precious...
Understanding the big picture is priceless. Anonymous

Google Who is Pushbrk?

A Warning to Green Card Holders About Voting

http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/606646-a-warning-to-green-card-holders-about-voting/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same as people mentioned above - IR1 is for those married 2 years or more, CR1 is for those married two years or less.

Legally you cannot live in the U.S. with your spouse while the visa is "pending" as it's illegal. There are visitor visas you can obtain, I would stay for the alloted time and then leave.

***Removing Conditions***

Submitted I-751: March 4, 2011

Check cashed: March 10, 2011

NOA1: March 8, 2011

Biometrics Appt: April 21, 2011

Early Bio Walk-in: April 7, 2011

Approved: September 7, 2011

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So finally I understand the difference between CR1 and IR1. What is denoted by the 1 in CR1, or IR1. I assume there are CR2 and IR2. Are there? And if so what is the difference between CR1 and CR2 (should CR2 exist) and IR1 and IR2 (should IR2 exist.) Thank for your replies.

N400 CITIZENSHIP STAGE

23-DEC-2016 -:- N400 form mailed to Dallas, TX Lockbox (USPS EXPRESS)

27-DEC-2016 -:- N400 form delivered/picked up by USCIS

01-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form fee check cashed by USCIS

04-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form received per NOA1

09-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form NOA1 notice date

14-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form NOA1 on hand through USPS

30-JAN-2017 -:- N400 fingerprint taken

01-FEB-2017 -:- N400 interview schedule process started

26-JUL-2017 -:- N400 interview date set (01SEP2017)

29-JUL-2017 -:- N400 interview letter on hand

01-SEP-2017 -:- N400 interview date - Interview passed

10-OCT-2017-:- N400 oath ceremony letter on hand (oath on 26OCT2017)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

The CR1 or IR1 visa enables US Citizens to bring their foreign spouse to the USA

The CR2 or IR2 visa allows unmarried children under the age of 21 to move to the US as well, provided the marriage to the natural parent occured before the 18th birthday.

http://www.**removed for TOS violation**/Visa_FAQ.html

Good luck

USCIS
August 12, 2008 - petition sent
August 16, 2008 - NOA-1
February 10, 2009 - NOA-2
178 DAYS FROM NOA-1


NVC
February 13, 2009 - NVC case number assigned
March 12, 2009 - Case Complete
25 DAY TRIP THROUGH NVC


Medical
May 4, 2009


Interview
May, 26, 2009


POE - June 20, 2009 Toronto - Atlanta, GA

Removal of Conditions
Filed - April 14, 2011
Biometrics - June 2, 2011 (early)
Approval - November 9, 2011
209 DAY TRIP TO REMOVE CONDITIONS

Citizenship

April 29, 2013 - NOA1 for petition received

September 10, 2013 Interview - decision could not be made.

April 15, 2014 APPROVED. Wait for oath ceremony

Waited...

September 29, 2015 - sent letter to senator.

October 16, 2015 - US Citizen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I figure after going through my VJ, I will attempt to take the bar exams for my State. I might have enough knowledge to actually become in immigration lawyer. Folks, this is an attestation to your contribution to my knowledge. Thank you.

N400 CITIZENSHIP STAGE

23-DEC-2016 -:- N400 form mailed to Dallas, TX Lockbox (USPS EXPRESS)

27-DEC-2016 -:- N400 form delivered/picked up by USCIS

01-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form fee check cashed by USCIS

04-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form received per NOA1

09-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form NOA1 notice date

14-JAN-2017 -:- N400 form NOA1 on hand through USPS

30-JAN-2017 -:- N400 fingerprint taken

01-FEB-2017 -:- N400 interview schedule process started

26-JUL-2017 -:- N400 interview date set (01SEP2017)

29-JUL-2017 -:- N400 interview letter on hand

01-SEP-2017 -:- N400 interview date - Interview passed

10-OCT-2017-:- N400 oath ceremony letter on hand (oath on 26OCT2017)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Belarus
Timeline

My fiance and I will be married this July. He is a US citizen and I am Canadian. I plan to be in the states with him. After some research, we decided to go with the Spouse Visa and follow those procedures in order to permanently reside as a US citizen. However, I am hearing about this IR1/CR1 Spouse Visa for the first time and now feel a little confused. What exactly are the differences between the two and which one is best suited for my situation? Any helpful advice would be gladly appreciated. Thanks! :)

If you have been married for at least two years prior to you applying, then it is IR1 (Immediate Resident), Otherwise CR1 (Conditional Resident).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Canada
Timeline

http://www.**removed for TOS violation**/Visa_FAQ.html

Good luck

I violated the TOS!!! :o Sorry everyone, it was totally unintentional!

:bonk:

:ot2:

I think I have an emoticon addiction

USCIS
August 12, 2008 - petition sent
August 16, 2008 - NOA-1
February 10, 2009 - NOA-2
178 DAYS FROM NOA-1


NVC
February 13, 2009 - NVC case number assigned
March 12, 2009 - Case Complete
25 DAY TRIP THROUGH NVC


Medical
May 4, 2009


Interview
May, 26, 2009


POE - June 20, 2009 Toronto - Atlanta, GA

Removal of Conditions
Filed - April 14, 2011
Biometrics - June 2, 2011 (early)
Approval - November 9, 2011
209 DAY TRIP TO REMOVE CONDITIONS

Citizenship

April 29, 2013 - NOA1 for petition received

September 10, 2013 Interview - decision could not be made.

April 15, 2014 APPROVED. Wait for oath ceremony

Waited...

September 29, 2015 - sent letter to senator.

October 16, 2015 - US Citizen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 
Didn't find the answer you were looking for? Ask our VJ Immigration Lawyers.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
- Back to Top -

Important Disclaimer: Please read carefully the Visajourney.com Terms of Service. If you do not agree to the Terms of Service you should not access or view any page (including this page) on VisaJourney.com. Answers and comments provided on Visajourney.com Forums are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Visajourney.com does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. VisaJourney.com does not condone immigration fraud in any way, shape or manner. VisaJourney.com recommends that if any member or user knows directly of someone involved in fraudulent or illegal activity, that they report such activity directly to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. You can contact ICE via email at Immigration.Reply@dhs.gov or you can telephone ICE at 1-866-347-2423. All reported threads/posts containing reference to immigration fraud or illegal activities will be removed from this board. If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by contacting us here with a url link to that content. Thank you.
×
×
  • Create New...