Understand the US IR-1 and CR-1 Visa from Thailand. The US IR-1 Visa and CR-1 Visa is basically what you will need if you want to bring your Thai wife to the United States with a permanent resident status or green card. This type of visa has various advantages, and one specifically is that it has a built-in Green Card in the visa itself.
US IR-1 and CR-1 Visa
While your Thai wife is processed in immigration when entering the United States, the stamp in her passport will serve as her temporary green card until the government issuer her one. This waiting period usually takes around a month or two months until the US government issues a green card to the Thai spouse.
Some find the process of obtaining a green card quite frustrating, while others say it is a simple and fast process. Either way, having a US CR-1 / IR-1 visa means that your Thai spouse does not need to worry regarding the green card.
There’s a saying regarding immigration to the United States which goes like, “Get the immigrant to the United States as fast as possible, and then worry about the rest once in the US. This saying seems to be disproportional in regards to the point that you are bringing your Thai loved one to the United States in order for you to be with them. The US IR-1 and CR-1 Visa has its own requirements which you need to understand.
Getting the Thai spouse out of Thailand and into the United States would mean that the US citizen can be with the Thai spouse more. But this is one of the step backs for the US CR/1 & IR/1 Visa, as these types of visa take a longer time to obtain because the immigrant visa applicant is placed under extreme scrutiny.
Generally, it takes about 12 months to obtain a US IR-1 / CR-1 Visa in Thailand, and the long period of waiting might seem daunting to the Thai-American couple. All of these could mean that the Thai spouse would have to remain in Thailand until the Visa process is completed, which might cause trouble for both parties as it basically puts both their lives on hold. The US IR-1 and CR-1 Visa will require legal assistance.
The US IR-1 / CR-1 Visa is considered as the best way to go for an American citizen who has been living in Thailand for over a year and wishes to bring his Thai spouse into the United States. USCIS in Thailand has a policy stating that they will accept petitions from foreigners in Thailand only if the expat has resided in Thailand for more than one year.
This would result to a reduced waiting time for the Thai-American couple, which means that if the Thai-American couple can file for a US IR-1 / CR-1 with the USCIS Thailand, they will be expecting to get their visas to be processed in about 6 months. Always speak about the requirements for the US IR-1 and CR-1 Visa while in Thailand.