My Chinese wife and I are in China...want to get her an immigration visa

[CitizenJ 5]

Yes, the CR-1 (married< 2 years)/IR-1(married > 2yrs) visa is immediately a green card.

You should be able to DCF and you should be able to apply for the first step in the USCIS office at the Beijing Embassy. The final visa interview will be in Guangzhou.

You mentioned that you want to go back in July/August. DCF is fast but that might be pushing it. The fastest I have seen is about 3 months for DCF but I would figure on more like 6 months. The one thing that would significantly extend that is if your wife is a member of the Communist Party (this can add another 6 months).

And while you can use assets, I have never heard of anyone using assets in Guangzhou, (individual consulates in different countries seem to have their own unofficial rules). If a family member (parents, sibling) or a good friend is willing to be a co-sponsor, that would likely make the process easier.

Thanks a lot for your response. So the only difference between CR-1 and IR-1 is LPR? Getting an IR-1 visa doesn't speed up the citizenship process at all (from the time of getting the visa)? So if there were two people - one who got a CR visa and one who got an IR visa - they would achieve citizenship at more or less the same time? Also, what does DCF stand for? Thanks again for your response.

[Ryan H 3,899]

Thanks a lot for your response. So the only difference between CR-1 and IR-1 is LPR?

No, the difference between the two is IR-1 visa holders are given 10 year green cards on arrival, no need to go through the process of removing conditions on residence two years after arrival.

Also, what does DCF stand for? Thanks again for your response.

Direct Consular Filing - only available if there is a USCIS field office in the country. There are two in China (Beijing and Guangzhou).

Edited March 24, 2014 by Ryan H

[Darnell 8,479]

Once in China, we went through a huge ordeal getting all of our marriage documents translated in order to get me on a family visa. So you're right; we didn't get married again. My mistake.

So how long would this process take in all (on aveage - from the time of first submitting an I-130 petition to the the time of my wife getting her visa)?

Also, would my wife be granted a greencard immediately after coming to America (since she would hold an IR visa)?

2 to 4 months, depending on the queue wait times (there are several queues, and movement inbetween the queues)

Once the Visa is approved at the consulate, a visa stamp is placed inside the passport.

Once the applicant transits through a Port of Entry, an endorsement stamp is put into the passport.

The Visa with the endorsement stamp, after POE date, serves as a temporary green card, an I-551 document, for one year.

As to the actual green card, you pay 165 fee at the ELIS web site then after the POE date, figure 2 to 4 months for the actual green card to arrive.

About 3 weeks after POE date, go chase the SSN at a SSA office.

Go Get Em, and Good Luck !

Direct Consular Filing - only available if there is a USCIS field office in the country. There are two in China (Beijing and Shanghai).

Ah? Did it move? Used to be in Guangzhou, not Shanghai...

[Ryan H 3,899]

Ah? Did it move? Used to be in Guangzhou, not Shanghai...

Edited, I was very tired after having participated in a stair race when I wrote that initially.