IR1/CR1/ Spouse Visa

To obtain a CR1/IR1 visa, you need to apply via a process known as “consular processing”. Here are the visa types that use consular processing:

• CR1/IR1 spouse and the accompanying CR2/IR2 child when the sponsor is a U.S. citizen
• F2A category (F21 spouse; F22 child) when the sponsor is a legal permanent resident (aka green card holder)

A CR1/IR1 visa allows a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident (green card holder) to sponsor their foreign spouse to come to the United States.

• The sponsor must be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident.
• The couple must be lawfully married and provide a valid marriage certificate.
• The authenticity of the marriage must be proven with evidence, for example with photographs, flight itineraries and so on. For more information, see this Boundless guide on proving your marriage is real.
• The sponsor must pledge to financially support their spouse and file an affidavit of support. They must have the means to support their household at 125% of the federal poverty level. If the sponsor doesn’t meet the income requirements, they can use a joint sponsor.
• The sponsor must have U.S. domicile, meaning they must either live in the United States or must prove they plan to return to the United States with their foreign spouse. See our Boundless guide on proving domicile.