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Illustrated Code Guide/Category File / IR1
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IR1
CATEGORYCategory Code on the Card

Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission)

Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission)

◌ Pending reviewPathway availableCode source confirmedAdmission as a permanent resident following consular immigrant visa processingPrincipal applicantPermanent resident
UNITED STATES OF AMERICAPERMANENT RESIDENTSurname—Given Name—USCIS#—Country of Birth—Date of Birth—Card Expires:—Resident Since—CategoryIR1Sex—TEACHING SAMPLE · NOT A VALID DOCUMENT
Cartoon category illustration, not an actual document
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
Permanent resident

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 Sources

Availability status (code and pathway assessed separately)

Code status

Available in official code tables/announcements

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

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.

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.

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)

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 · Immediate relative (consular admission)

21/ 99
Difficulty 21 / 99Pathway available

Mapping Explanation:Evaluated separately from IR6: consular admission does not require a prerequisite status in the United States and entails less procedural dependency than adjustment of status within the United States. The IR/CR code distinction (conditional status) is not included in the facts used for this score.

  • QEligibility entry threshold×0.425
    Reasons and Evidence
    • Must be the spouse of a U.S. citizen (under the definition of immediate relative).

    Anchor:A single provable statutory relationship or status (such as a valid marriage to a U.S. citizen).

    Reason:A single, provable legal relationship.

  • VNumerical-limit competition and waiting×0.250
    Reasons and Evidence
    • Immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are not numerically limited and are always available.

    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.

  • EEvidentiary burden×0.1525
    Reasons and Evidence
    • A U.S. citizen or permanent resident relative files I-130 as the basis for immigration.

    Anchor:Documentary proof of one core fact (such as the bona fides of a relationship).

    Reason:Documentary proof of one core relationship fact.

  • CStatutory financial threshold×0.150
    Reasons and Evidence
    • Family-based immigration requires submission of an I-864 Affidavit of Support, based on the I-864P federal poverty guidelines.

    Anchor:Statutory financial sponsorship requirements in addition to government fees (such as the I-864 income threshold).

    Reason:Statutory financial sponsorship is required in addition to government fees.

  • PProcedural dependencies×0.125
    Reasons and Evidence
    • After the relative's I-130 is approved and a visa is available, apply for an immigrant visa at a U.S. Department of State consulate abroad.

    Anchor:Requires another person to file an application or petition (such as a relative’s I-130) before proceeding with the green card process.

    Reason:Requires another person to file a petition before proceeding, with no prerequisite status in the United States.

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):Permanent resident

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

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

    Working Chinese name (translated): Spouses of U.S. citizens (consular admission)

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.

  • IR1OHSS master table combining current and historical entries (status not identified by OHSS)OHSS-0001-IR1

    Spouses, new arrivals

    Official Grouping
    Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens
    Legal Authority
    INA 201(b).
    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

  • Discontinuation of a code does not automatically revoke LPR status previously lawfully obtained; an individual's status still depends on subsequent facts.

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:IR1

The source contains no other notation differing from the normalized code.

12Sources, Dates, and Review Status (Entry by Entry)

  • OHSS-0001-IR1

    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：Listed in the official LPR code table (conditional status not separately 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

READING NOTES / Scope of Reading

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