Integrity Legal - Law Firm in Bangkok | Bangkok Lawyer | Legal Services Thailand Back to
Integrity Legal

Legal Services & Resources 

Up to date legal information pertaining to Thai, American, & International Law.

Contact us: +66 2-266 3698

info@integrity-legal.com

ResourcesVisa & Immigration LawUS Immigration LawIR-1 Visas from Thailand: One and Done

IR-1 Visas from Thailand: One and Done

Transcript of the above video:

As the title of this video suggests, we are discussing IR-1 Visas and as the title suggests we are saying “one and done”. What am I talking about here? Well it is just one entry to the United States and then you are done worrying really about your status. I mean, yes there are matters to deal with for example getting one's Green Card, their actual I-551 card issued; that certainly is an issue to deal with; getting one's Social Security number and things but the stamp at Immigration upon arrival in the United States, the I-551 stamp in one's passport, that is basically a temporary Green Card for the forthcoming period of time that someone wishes to be in the United States. 

Moreover, and this is a key point, those who have an IR-1 Visa, so basically those who have been married more than two years at the time of the foreign spouse's entry to the US, that foreign spouse enters with Unconditional Lawful Permanent Residence. So, that one entry is "boom, one and done". You are done worrying about your long-term status. You are in long term status; you are in residence status from the moment of entry. There is no conditionality like the CR-1 Visa; there is no need to lift conditions. The IR-1 Visa is as I said, one and done; boom, and you are finished. 

I think a lot of folks out there, they look at these things and they wonder what the best option is. If you are already married and you have been married longer than 2 years or it is very likely you will be married longer than 2 years, and under current processing conditions that is a lot of folks, an IR-1 Visa is great in the sense that you just arrive and you are finished with that. There is no dealing with Adjustment of Status; there is no dealing with having to lift conditions. You are just in Unconditional Lawful Permanent Residence in the United States of America.