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Applying for a spouse in the USA might feel challenging as it involves stressful paperwork, getting the green card and showcasing your relationship proofs. The chances of getting your spouse visa in USA approved if you are aware of the requirements and follow the right steps. In this blog let us provide you with an ultimate guide to applying for a spouse visa in the USA in 2025.
About The Spouse Visa USA
The US spouse visa is a green card that allows a person from another country to live in the US with their partner and get permanent residency there. It is also known as the CR1 or IR1 spouse visa which stands for conditional resident and immediate relative respectively. You get this visa only if you have been married for at least 2 years.
For a CR1 or conditional resident visa, you need to meet the conditional basis such as your marriage with the spouse be less than 2 years. Suppose you have been married with your spouse for about 2 years and they entered the US on an immigrant visa, so their permanent residency would be considered ‘conditional’. But, for the IR1 or immediate relative visa, you have no conditions to meet and all you need is to be married with your partner for more than 2 years. In this case, you and your partner in the US will have 10 years to renew your permanent residency card.
Which Spouse Visa is Better, CR-1 or IR-1?
Comparing the CR-1 and IR-1 visa, one can understand that both the visas provide certain benefits but have different requirements. The CR-1 visa is issued to the couple when they have been married for at least 2 years after which they have to apply for removing the conditions to get their 10-year validity green card. While for the IR-1 visa, you don’t need to fulfill any conditions, and you get the green card with the validity of 10 years.
Coming to their processing time, both the visas take the same time and the only difference being the length of your marriage.
Requirements for the CR-1/IR-1 Spouse Visa
The CR-1 or IR-1 spouse visa allows a US citizen or permanent resident to sponsor their partner to come and settle in the country. The basic requirements you need to fulfill for such type of visas are:
- Your sponsor/partner should be a US citizen or a permanent resident.
- You and your partner should be legally married and have valid marriage proofs and certificates. Proof such as photographs, joint bank accounts, life insurances or flight itenaries can be shown.
- Your spouse must support you and file an affidavit of supporting financially. For this, they must have means to support themselves at 125% of the federal poverty level. If your partner cannot meet the income requirements, they can also use a joint sponsor.
- Your partner must have the US domicile.
How to Apply for the Spouse Visa USA
To apply for the spouse visa USA, you first need to go through the consular processing which means you need to apply at your local US embassy. To start with the consular processing in your spouse visa for USA, follow these steps:
- First and foremost thing is that you should be eligible to receive the green card which means you and your spouse must be 18 years or above and domiciled in the US.
- Your US sponsor will have to file Form I-130 which is the ‘Petition for Alien Relative’. Next, you will have to wait for about an year for the USCIS to process your form. If approved, you can start with the other steps to follow.
- You can check the Visa Bulletin to see if your green card is available. Visa bulletin is a monthly update that the US Department of State releases every month for people who are waiting to check on their green card or how long they need to wait for it.
- Now, your petition will be processed by the US Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC will then notify you about the necessary paperwork and fees and will guide on filling the DS-260 form which is the ‘Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration. The DS-260 form is known to be the actual green card application.
- After the above steps, your US embassy or consulate will send you a letter informing you about your interview and further process. You will have to get a medical exam approved by the physician before attending the interview.
- Next, you will be updated within a week on your interview and if approved you will receive your visa with your passport and documents in a sealed envelope. Remember to not open the envelope yourself as the immigration officer at the border will open it.
- Now, your visa will stand valid for 6 months and when the US border official approves it you can get it valid for 12 months. This will allow you to travel freely in the country and you will get your final green card in this 12-month valid period.
Wrapping Up
Many think that is a big challenge to apply for the US spouse visa, but it can become a hassle-free process if you are well aware. One of the big mistakes people make is paperwork errors that can lead to delaying their spouse visa. So, if you need full guidance on how to start with your spouse visa USA application, a reliable immigration consultant company can assist you the right way.