Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission · conditional residents)
Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission · conditional residents)
- 01Immigrant Category
- Family-based immigration—Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens
- 02Method of Obtaining Status
- Admission as a permanent resident following consular immigrant visa processing
- 03Applicant Role
- Principal applicant
- 04Nature of Residency
- Family-based conditional permanent residents
Code source:Code source confirmed
This code appears in an official code table or official announcement; this establishes only that the code exists, not that all fields have been verified or that applications are currently open.
Notes on Code and Data SourcesAvailability status (code and pathway assessed separately)
Code status
The code's presence in official materials proves only that the code exists; it does not indicate whether the pathway is open.
Underlying pathway status
Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.
Pathway:Spouses of U.S. citizens (immediate relatives)。USCIS immediate relatives page: Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for green cards without annual numerical limits; those married for less than two years receive conditional green cards (CR codes). Evidence valid through 2026-12-31.
- USCIS Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(Read2026-10-11)
- USCIS Green Card Eligibility Categories(Read2026-10-11)
Verification date2026-10-11; independent of the difficulty-of-obtaining-status score; the absence of a score does not affect this status.
Not all of the following working fields have completed legal review. See the newly added verification for the current status of the pathway; unverified fields, such as translated names and legal authorities, are not thereby elevated to verified status, nor does this constitute individualized legal advice.
02One-Sentence Status Summary
Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission · conditional residents)
05Pathway Family and Related Immigration Pathways
Pathway family (working classification):Family-based immigration—Immediate relatives of U.S. citizens
Correspondence to specific subpathwaysUnsubstantiated / Pending Review: This edition retains only the working pathway-family classification provided by the source catalog.
Difficulty-of-Obtaining Scorev1
Pathway Assessed:Spouse of a U.S. citizen (married for less than two years) · Conditional immediate relative (principal applicant, entry through consular processing)
Mapping Explanation:Evaluate separately from IR1 (married for at least two years, unconditional): under CR1, the marriage is less than two years old at entry, and an I-751 must be filed to remove conditions before the two-year conditional period expires, creating greater procedural dependence than under IR1; do not combine scores with the IR6/IR1 adjustment-of-status/consular classifications.
- QEligibility entry threshold×0.425
Reasons and Evidence
- Must be the spouse of a U.S. citizen, and the marital relationship underlying the I-130 must genuinely exist; if the marriage is less than two years old at entry, entry is in conditional status.
Anchor:A single provable statutory relationship or status (such as a valid marriage to a U.S. citizen).
Reason:The core eligibility requirement remains a single provable statutory relationship (marriage).
- USCIS — Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(official update2026-01-30; accessed 2026-10-11)
- USCIS — I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence(official update2026-06-16; accessed 2026-10-11)
- VNumerical-limit competition and waiting×0.250
Reasons and Evidence
- Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens (including spouses) are not numerically limited and are always available; whether status is conditional does not change the visa category's numerical-limit status.
Anchor:Official sources expressly state that no annual numerical limit applies (visas are always available).
Reason:Official guidance expressly states that there is no numerical limit; assign 0.
- USCIS — Visa Availability and Priority Dates(official update2025-01-24; accessed 2026-10-11)
- USCIS — Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(official update2026-01-30; accessed 2026-10-11)
- EEvidentiary burden×0.1550
Reasons and Evidence
- Must establish the genuineness of the marital relationship through an I-130; before the two-year conditional period following entry expires, must separately file an I-751 and establish that the marriage is bona fide (through evidence such as joint finances and residence).
Anchor:Two to three independent elements, each requiring dedicated documentation.
Reason:In addition to proof of the relationship, evidence of a bona fide marriage two years later is required, constituting two to three independent requirements.
- USCIS — Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(official update2026-01-30; accessed 2026-10-11)
- USCIS — I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence(official update2026-06-16; accessed 2026-10-11)
- CStatutory financial threshold×0.150
Reasons and Evidence
- Family-based immigration requires an I-864 Affidavit of Support (INA 213A), based on the I-864P Federal Poverty Guidelines; government fees also apply (G-1055).
Anchor:Statutory financial sponsorship requirements in addition to government fees (such as the I-864 income threshold).
Reason:A statutory financial sponsorship requirement applies in addition to government fees; use the same anchor as the existing assessment for immediate-relative spouses.
- USCIS — I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA(official update2026-09-04; accessed 2026-10-11)
- USCIS — G-1055 Fee Schedule(official update2026-10-07; accessed 2026-10-11)
- PProcedural dependencies×0.175
Reasons and Evidence
- The citizen spouse must first file and obtain approval of an I-130, followed by consular visa processing for entry; within two years after entry, an I-751 must be filed separately to remove conditions. This involves three or more stages and includes further adjudication after conditional status is granted.
Anchor:Dependent on a third party (employer/project entity) in a multistage process, such as PERM → I-140 → green card.
Reason:Multistage and includes further adjudication after conditional status is granted; use the higher anchor point.
- USCIS — Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(official update2026-01-30; accessed 2026-10-11)
- USCIS — Consular Processing(official update2023-07-20; accessed 2026-10-11)
- USCIS — I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence(official update2026-06-16; accessed 2026-10-11)
An assessment under this site's editorial rules, not a government score, probability of approval, or individualized legal conclusion. Assessed 2026-10-11; valid through 2027-04-11.Scoring Methodology
06Applicant Role
Source catalog's working classification:Principal applicant
07Method of Obtaining Status
Source catalog's working classification:Admission as a permanent resident following consular immigrant visa processing
08Conditional Resident Status and Permanent Nature of Residence
Unsubstantiated / Pending Review:The source catalog does not specify conditional resident status for each entry.
Residence category (working classification):Family-based conditional permanent residents
09Principal Applicant / Derivative Relationship
This edition includes no documented code relationships; none are inferred from code prefixes or suffixes.
04Time Period and Evidentiary Limits on “Whether It Can Still Be Newly Obtained Today”
Time-period notation:OHSS master table combining current and historical entries (status not identified by OHSS)
Verification of a Newly Added Pathway:Pathway available
Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.
USCIS immediate relatives page: Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for green cards without annual numerical limits; those married for less than two years receive conditional green cards (CR codes).
Verification2026-10-11· Valid through2026-12-31 · ir-spouse
- USCIS Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(Read2026-10-11)
- USCIS Green Card Eligibility Categories(Read2026-10-11)
Status recorded at the time of the original snapshot (not a conclusion about current status)
- The source does not provide an active status; whether the status can still be newly obtained requires item-by-item verification of the governing legal authority.
Fields that were unverified at the time of the original snapshot remain unchanged. See the newly added pathway verification for current status; other fields are not thereby elevated to verified status.
03Official English and Chinese Working Translation
Spouses, new arrivals, conditional
Working Chinese name (translated): Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission · conditional residents)
10Same-Code / Cross-Era Notice
The source does not flag any risk of cross-era confusion.
The same code may have different meanings in different eras. The source and era are preserved for each entry below; entries are not merged across eras, nor does their inclusion indicate current validity.
- CR1OHSS master table combining current and historical entries (status not identified by OHSS)OHSS-0003-CR1
Spouses, new arrivals, conditional
- Official Grouping
- Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens
- Legal Authority
- INA 201(b) & INA 216.
Original Snapshot Notes (Not Current Status)
The OHSS page does not provide an active/status field; the existence of a source does not mean the pathway is currently open; the same code also appears in the current consular immigrant visa table in 22 CFR 42.11.
11General Limitations for Existing Holders
- Suspension of issuance under the program does not automatically revoke existing status; the two-year conditions and the obligation to remove conditions continue
This page compiles code reference materials. It does not constitute legal advice or determine any individual's current immigration status.
01Code and Original Source Notation
Normalized code:CR1
The source contains no other notation differing from the normalized code.
12Sources, Dates, and Review Status (Entry by Entry)
OHSS-0003-CR1
DHS/OHSS COA master table · accessed 2026-08-12
Original snapshot review status:Official English and working Chinese fields reviewed; whether the pathway is open remains subject to separate verification against legal sources(As recorded at the time; for current status, see the newly added pathway verification below)
- ✓ Original English text:Verified as matching the official English original
- · Chinese name:Working Chinese translation, not subjected to word-by-word legal review
- ✓ Legal Authority:Legal authority checked against the official original text
- · Status in the original snapshot:Current availability was not officially confirmed in the original snapshot only; see the added pathway verification for current status.
- ✓ Applicant Role:Role supported by an official label
- ✓ Method of Obtaining Status:Method of obtaining status supported by an official label
- ✓ Status category:Status category verified
Verification of a Newly Added Pathway:Pathway available
Both the current official eligibility page and the code-table row have been checked and confirm that applications may be made under this pathway; this does not mean that any individual qualifies or will be approved, and a visa number must still be available.
USCIS immediate relatives page: Spouses of U.S. citizens may apply for green cards without annual numerical limits; those married for less than two years receive conditional green cards (CR codes).
Verification2026-10-11· Valid through2026-12-31 · ir-spouse
- USCIS Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen(Read2026-10-11)
- USCIS Green Card Eligibility Categories(Read2026-10-11)
READING NOTES / Scope of Reading
AboutCR1, you may want to know
Green Card Knowledge Base / RELATED READING
UnderstandingCR1Related Information
- Family-Based ImmigrationMarriage-Based Conditional Residence and Removal of Conditions (I-751)
- Family-Based ImmigrationI-751 Removal of Conditions: Joint Filing, Death of a Spouse, and Three Types of Waivers
- Family-Based ImmigrationK-1/K-2, K-3/K-4, and the Historical V Visa: Bridge Status Is Not a Green Card