Are you a US citizen married to a Thai national in Thailand? Are you planning to move back together to the US and live permanently there? The IR-1 visa application process allows US citizens to sponsor their Thai spouses in migrating to the US.
See also Law Firm’s US IR-1 visa application page.
If you have been married to your Thai spouse for more than 2 years, you can get her an IR-1 visa. Your spouse will become a permanent resident automatically after entering the US. If your spouse has children accompanying her to immigrate in the US, you need to get the children an IR-2 visa. All of your biological children will automatically become US citizens with this type of visa.
The application process for IR-1 visa takes around six (6) months to twelve (12) months from start of the application to finish. After the visa is approved, your spouse can enter the US and is authorized to work or study. The green card will arrive through mail after a few months.
Eligibility requirements for the petitioner
- US citizen or a US Permanent resident
- At least 18 years of age
- Meet financial requirements as stated in the Poverty Guidelines
- Domiciled in the US
Your spouse will be ineligible for any type of visa if they:
- Lied on an immigration application
- Have a serious criminal record
- Have a severe communicable disease
In some cases, your spouse may have a waiver to obtain a visa even he or she is ineligible.
IR-1 Application Process
- The petitioner files petition with the USCIS
- The National Visa Center is notified of the approved petition
- The National Visa Center contacts the applicant and the petitioner with directives for submitting the proper processing fee.
- When the fees are settled, the NVC will be in touch with petitioner and the applicant to notify them for the required documents to be submitted.
- The petitioner and the applicant should submit the required documentations until the process is completed.