Direct Consular Filing

A process related to the United States immigration, DCF or Direct Consular Filing, once the correct forms have been approved, can be used to obtain a CR or IR visa within a country.

Proper forms that may be involved in the filing process are as follows:

• Petition To Classify Orphan As An Immediate Relative Form I-600
• Petition For Special, Widow(er), Or Amerasian Immigrant Form I-360
• Petition For Alien Relative Form I-130

These forms are filed with another country’s consulate or United States Embassy. They are not filed with the United States Citizen and Immigration Services or any United States Immigration affiliated facility. DCF is only done in the petitioner’s legal country of residence and is only available under circumstances which are typically considered exceptional.

An immigrant visa referred to as a CR-1 visa allows a United States citizen’s spouse to, as a conditional resident (CR), enter the United States. They must have been married for under two years. If you have been married for under two years, and your spouse (who is not an American citizen) uses an immigrant visa with which to enter the United States, their status as a permanent resident is considered conditional (CR). They do not qualify for an IR or immediate relative visa.

An IR-1 visa, or immediate relative visa, results from an applicant obtaining United States permanent residency (for a limited time) because they have been married to a United States citizen for two years or more.

IR-1 visas can be issued for a ten-year span during which the individual is considered a permanent resident. CR-1 visas are valid for two years during which the individual is considered a conditional permanent resident.