Expiration Date of CR-1 Visa

[chuqiao 0]

I need to understand the subject on the expiration date of a CR-1 visa, and appreciate very much that anyone can offer me the help ASAP.

I am filing the CR-1 visa application for my wife, who is in China right now. I just Emailed our DS-230 packet to NVC. From what I could understand (and if I do not make any mistakes), we could be out of NVC in early August, and have the interview in Guangzhou in September.

Earlier, I thought all CR-1/IR-1 visas have the 6-month expiration date. To be sure, I did the search online yesterday, and found a thread posted by Chicagoonfire. He said, "My wife got her visa CR 1 visa today (02/12/2012), it says it expires April 9th." That means his CR-1 had only 2 months as the expiration date. Is it true that GUZ has changed that policy of 6-month expiration date? We are counting on it to give us some freedom to arrange the date of POE!

Could someone give us the suggestion or guideline -

(1) if the 6-month expiration date is still happening to you (or in most cases, and that 2-month one was an exception),

(2) how we can assure to get the 6-month CR-1 expiration date, and

(3) if indeed the 2-month could be the case, what the best way is to delay our IV application process now (after mailing out the DS-230 packet to NVC).

Thanks in advance for your great HELP!

PS, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Darnell, Saylin, and others! I printed out the articles published by them and read them thoroughly, more so than I did for my exams in college. Without those kind people, I will be clueless on what to do for my application! I followed their instructions and examples to the teeth. If there is anything I could add is that there is no need to generate the bar code for DS-3032, and send out it to NVC before you receive the actual blank form from NVC (with the bar code). NVC must have discarded my first OPTIN Email, as they were not ready for me.

[Thomas&Cleofe 358]

The CR-1 visa is expiring 6 months from the date of the medical exam. Not 6 months from date of issue of the visa.

[dwheels76 5,487]

The CR-1 visa is expiring 6 months from the date of the medical exam. Not 6 months from date of issue of the visa.

Wow good to know had no idea. So all those early medicals. Well for nigeria you can't get one until interview date is scheduled.

Well thanks QP & Thomas.

Edited July 29, 2012 by dwheels76

[VanessaTony 3,567]

The CR-1 visa is expiring 6 months from the date of the medical exam. Not 6 months from date of issue of the visa.

No no. It's TWELVE months from the date of the medical or 6 months expiry date, whichever is sooner. Some people take the medical REALLY early, or the visa takes a while. Medicals are valid for 12 months. So if you're stuck in AP for a while and you had your medical early you could end up with just a couple of weeks (has happened before). OR if you don't get AP or have short AP you'll get 6 months.

Wow good to know had no idea. So all those early medicals. Well for nigeria you can't get one until interview date is scheduled.

Well thanks QP & Thomas.

Nope. 12 months from date of medical or 6 months MAX. Whichever is shorter.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

Could someone give us the suggestion or guideline -

(1) if the 6-month expiration date is still happening to you (or in most cases, and that 2-month one was an exception),

(2) how we can assure to get the 6-month CR-1 expiration date, and

(3) if indeed the 2-month could be the case, what the best way is to delay our IV application process now (after mailing out the DS-230 packet to NVC).

PS, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Darnell, Saylin, and others! I printed out the articles published by them and read them thoroughly, more so than I did for my exams in college. Without those kind people, I will be clueless on what to do for my application! I followed their instructions and examples to the teeth. If there is anything I could add is that there is no need to generate the bar code for DS-3032, and send out it to NVC before you receive the actual blank form from NVC (with the bar code). NVC must have discarded my first OPTIN Email, as they were not ready for me.

1. 6 months is standard but it depends on when the medical was done

2. Don't do the medical too early OR hope you don't get AP

3. N/A

Re the advice following.. hope it was "to a tee" and not "to the teeth" because that doesn't sound comfortable!

[Darnell 8,480]

GUZ IV has been rather picky these last 12 months.

Here's what I've observed..

If no AP, then 6 months from the date of issuance.

If AP, then it'####### or miss, where it's then:

-- 6 months from the medical, leaving a month to three months to transit into the USA or

-- 6 months from issuance date.

[chuqiao 0]

Thanks very much for all your help! I feel much better now! I will get the medical done as late as possible.

One more question - what is the AP? Is it Advanced Parole? In what condition, they would issue an AP in the CR-1 application?

[Penguin_ie 6,002]

AP in this case means Administrative Processing- additional checks they do after the interview. This can be name checks if your beneficiary has a common name, security checks if they have an odd job or are from certain areas of the world, or checks into the bonafides of your relationship (they may go visit her family and neighbours etc).