What is CR-1 VISA?

[dayfood]

I keep on seeing people talking about CR-1.

 

WHAT IS CR-1 VISA?

[danswayne]

I am afraid I probably can not give you the answer you want but I will ty anyway. I do know for sure that my wife is a CR-1 candidate. It is a spousal visa where both the American and the Chinese person are legal residents in China which lets me the American do something called Direct Consular Filing. I think that is what it is called anyway. It lets me go to the INS office here in China and file my I-130 there. Which by the way got approved in 5 days instead of the year or two it takes some of you poor souls back in the states. The INS office then sends the approved petition directly to GZ and they then prepare things to send my wife Packet 3. From there on it is about the same as a K3 or K1 visa except for the fact my wife goes to America and can skip a few of the steps that the K3 and K1 people have to go through. If I have understood right so far she is already a legal resident when she enters the states because of the CR-1. If I am wrong or left anything out please let me know so we can get things right ourselves. And don't feel too bad about the 5 day thing mentioned in this post it doesn't matter when GZ lost all your crap for almost a year. If they had not lost our paperwork so many times we would have been in America together long before the August 1 doomsday hit. B)

[owenkrout]

Glad we are not the only ones that GZ keeps losing paperwork for. Starting to think they just didn't like me.

 

I filed here in Shenyang following the process you outline and my wife got processed for a IR-1 which I took to mean Immediate Relative priority 1

 

We also would have finished this a year ago or more if there had been any efficiency to the process.

[Guest David]

Glad we are not the only ones that GZ keeps losing paperwork for.  Starting to think they just didn't like me. 

 

I filed here in Shenyang following the process you outline and my wife got processed for a IR-1 which I took to mean Immediate Relative priority 1

 

We also would have finished this a year ago or more if there had been any efficiency to the process.

I've been quiet about this up to this point, but I might as well go ahead and say it.

 

 

Shenyang screwed up my application process too! First, when I first went in there to ask them for the I-130 forms, the lady at the desk (a Chinese staff worker) gave me outdated forms, that also included outdated supplementary information. The forms asked for a fee that was no longer current, and would have been returned if I had tried to file them.

 

 

I also asked this woman where to sent the filled out forms, and she told me to send them to the Texas processing center at the address listed on their info packet. What a moron!

 

 

Later, whenever I tried to go back there and get _very_ basic information about immigration visas, they were completely ignorant. It was always "we don't do that here". Forgive me if I am being critical, but I do think it is their job to at least know enough about the process to answer some simple questions, and point people in the right direction. I told a consular officer about being given out-of-date information and forms, and he seemed shocked (actually, I don't think he believed me). And the Chinese lady staff worker is still there, of course.

 

 

The Shenyang consulate, like every other branch of the government, love to pass the ball instead of helping people out. All I wanted was information, and they even screwed that up! Even the consular officers clam up when they hear the "I" word ("immigration").

 

 

--David

[owenkrout]

David, your experience matches with mine. I just didn't mention the issues of being given the wrong papers the first time since I thought things didn't match with my research when I checked what they had given me out in the lobby. I turned around and went right back to the window. They at first wouldn't even look, but eventually produced the "new" forms. Question: Why do they even have the out-dated forms in the Consulate? Very basic management issue that all out-dated forms should be destroyed.

 

I guess I am just pushy enough from having been in management in industry. Otherwise I would have gone through another round of wasting my time.

[stellachacha]

IR-1 looks like the better one for a spousal visa (married more than 2 years). They enter with as a permanent resident with a ten year green card.

 

CR-1 is a conditional permanent resident (married less than 2 years) who receives a 2 year green card that must be have the conditions removed at a later time.

 

Both of these are the result of filing an I-130 petition.

 

If an I-129F petition is filed after receiving NOA1, a K-3 gets issued that alows the spouse to enter the US and file an Adjustment of Status (AOS) to a permanent or conditional premanent resident.

 

When an approved I-130 gets to the consulate before a K-3 is issued, normally the IR-1 or CR-1 is issued instead because it is a 'superior' visa.

 

At least that is what I think I know. Does this fit with you guys?

 

-Don H

Hi, my husband applyed the CR1 for me also. We applyed in Jan.2001 and I had interview 8/5/2002. Now I am still waiting for the clearance. Over 4 months after the interview:( I have married over 2 years. Some of my friends told me that the person like me that married over 2 years and once enter US and get non-restrict green card(10years). Is it true? It seems that CR1 usually takes more longer then K visa. Since my CR1 has almost been waited about 24 months. Let's pray for some good news soon. I really need it. Wish good luck for all of us!! All the couples can be together soon.

[Eric&Yuhui]

yes CR1 s' are longer than K's.. but hang in there :-)