IR1/CR1 Visa USA: 2026 Guide to Apply from Canada

Both the IR1 and CR1 are marriage-based Green Cards. However, what type of visa a foreign spouse will receive will depend on the length of time the couple has been married when the foreign spouse enters the US as a resident.

If a couple has been married for less than two years, the foreign spouse will receive a conditional residence visa (CR1). The resulting green card is valid for only two years and is used to ensure the marriage is bona fide and entered into with good faith. In the 90 days before it expires, both spouses will need to file Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions). If it’s approved, the foreign spouse receives a 10-year green card. The CR1 doesn’t turn into an IR1.

If a couple has been married for over 2 years, the foreign spouse will receive an IR1 Visa, leading to a green card which is valid for ten years.

In addition to your visa application, you will be asked to provide a number of supporting documents to support your application. These will be gathered to form a portfolio of evidence and may include the following:

• A Canadian passport that is valid for at least more than six months after your planned entry into the United States
• A valid and legal marriage certificate
• A signed Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) from the U.S. petitioner
• A printout of the DS-260 application confirmation page
• Signed Medical examination and vaccination documents
• Two photographs per individual (these must conform to U.S. visa standards)
• Court and criminal records and/or police certificate
• Military records if you ever served in the military

Once you have gathered all of your supporting documents together, you can then send them off to the NVC along with your application form. The NVC will then assess your application packet to determine whether or not you have provided enough evidence. If the NVC needs more information for your application to be processed, you will then be sent a request for more information. It is important to send the request information before the deadline given or it will not be considered. This lack of necessary information may cause your marriage green card to be rejected.

After the NVC has looked over all of the documents and is satisfied with the information provided, the visa applicant will then be asked to attend a marriage-based green card interview. If the applicant is abroad, this interview will take place at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If the applicant is in the United States, he/she will be asked to go to a nearby USCIS office for the interview.

The last stage of the application process is the visa interview. At this interview, the applicant will be asked a number of questions regarding his/her background, the information provided in the application, and their relationship with their spouse. If the applicant is in the U.S. for this interview, his/her spouse will also attend and participate in the interview. However, if the applicant is abroad, only the foreign spouse must attend.

The purpose of this specific marriage-based Green Card interview is to assess whether or not the marriage is bona fide and entered into with good faith. If the relationship is found to be genuine, the visa applicant will then be approved for their IR1/CR1 visa.

Once approved, the foreign spouse will be issued a visa stamp on his/her passport. This stamp allows the foreign citizen spouse to enter the United States within a fixed time frame. When the spouse is settled in the United States, he/she will receive their permanent resident card in the mail to the address provided in the visa application form.

In addition to receiving a visa stamp in their passport, the visa recipient will also be given a sealed packet. This packet contains documents important to the green card and must remain unopened until it is given to an immigration officer at a U.S. port of entry. The border control official will inspect the documents inside the packet, and if everything is in order, the visa recipient will be allowed entry into the United States.

Expenses for the IR1/CR1 visa will depend on the country from where the application was made. In general, the main fees for an IR1/CR1 visa will include the following:

• Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relatives): $625 online, $535.00 paper
• Form DS-260 for visa application: $325
• Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support): $120.00
• Medical examination and required vaccinations: costs will vary
• USCIS Immigrant fee: $235
• Certified translation of documents: costs will vary

The USCIS immigrant fee covers the cost of processing and delivery of your permanent resident card (aka, green card). Therefore, if you do not pay this fee, your card will neither be processed nor sent. It is highly recommended that you pay the USCIS immigrant fee as soon as you can in order to avoid any unnecessary delays in receiving your permanent resident card.

This card will be sent to you via mail at the mailing address you put down on the DS-260 form. You should expect to receive the card within 90 days of entry into the United States or if you traveled to the U.S. without paying it, you will then receive it within 90 days of payment receipt.

Once approved, the foreign spouse will be issued a visa stamp on his/her passport. This stamp allows the foreign citizen spouse to enter the United States within a fixed time frame. In addition to receiving a visa stamp in their passport, the visa recipient will also be given instructions and any documents needed at the port of entry. The border control official will inspect the documents, and if everything is in order, the visa recipient will be allowed entry into the United States.

When the spouse is settled in the United States, he/she will receive their permanent resident card in the mail to the address provided in the visa application form. You should expect to receive the card within 90 days of entry into the United States or if you traveled to the U.S. without paying it, you will then receive it within 90 days of payment receipt.

Normally, if a U.S. green card holder wants to apply to become a naturalized U.S. citizen, they are eligible to do so after 5 years of continuous living in the United States. However, those who were granted marriage-based green cards are eligible to apply for U.S. citizenship after 3 years if they are still married and living with their American spouse.