Review Filing Immigrant Petitions Outside the United States to learn more. If you are now a U.S. citizen, you must file separate immigrant visa petitions for each.
Table of contents
- Immigrant Visa for a Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (IR1 or CR1)
- 10 Tips for a Successful Visa Interview
- 1. Ties to Home Country
- Language selection
- U.S. Visas
Principal applicants who are living in Canada are not eligible to be sponsored as conjugal partners, either in the Spouse, Common-law in Canada program or the overseas sponsorship program. Not sure if your child is a dependant? Check if your child qualifies by answering a few questions. Your child or the child of your spouse or common-law partner can be considered a dependent child if that child meets the requirements below on the day we receive your complete application:.
With the exception of age, dependants must continue to meet these requirements until we finish processing your application. Any dependent child or dependant of a dependent child grandchild who plans to immigrate to Canada with the principal applicant. They are included on the application. When sponsoring more than one child as a principal applicant, each child must have its own application form. They are not considered to be accompanying dependants of each other. Please see the Guide for Permanent resident photos for colour examples of acceptable and unacceptable permanent resident photos.
If you are having your photos taken outside Canada, we strongly recommend that you ask your photographer to review both the Notes to Photographer found below, and the Guide for Permanent resident photos to see examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos. This will help reduce the chance of processing delays, and additional expenses, due to incorrect photo specifications. Please see the Guide for Permanent resident photos for colour examples of acceptable and unacceptable photos.
In the future, we will be introducing an "X" in the sex field. Sign up for email updates on changing your sex to X unspecified. Until this becomes available, you may request a supporting document, free of charge that will state that your sex is unspecified. Find out how to request a supporting document with X. If your passport or travel document has a sex other than male M or female F: You will not receive a reply. Skip to main content Skip to "About this site".
Use this guide to prepare: For legal information, see the: Before you start Get your application package Fill out your forms Gather your documents Check for common mistakes Pay your fees Submit your application What to expect after you submit the application Appendix A - Key definitions Appendix B - Photo specifications Appendix C - "X" in the sex field on an immigration document. What it means to sponsor someone. Who can become a sponsor You can become a sponsor if you are: If you are a Canadian citizen living outside Canada, you must show that you plan to live in Canada when your sponsored relative s become s a permanent resident.
You can sponsor a: Spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner You can sponsor your spouse , common-law partner or conjugal partner if: Who needs to give biometrics? If applicants have to give biometrics, they will give them after: Canadian citizens and existing permanent residents of Canada are exempt from giving biometrics How often do I need to give biometrics? Where to give biometrics? Outside Canada and the U. At one of many Application Support Centers across the U. When the in-Canada service is established in At the port of entry: Asylum claimants, and applicants for work and study permits who are eligible to apply at the port of entry.
Sponsors living in Quebec The province of Quebec has its own immigration rules. Find out how to sponsor someone if you live in Quebec. If you need help, contact the Quebec ministry of immigration. We encourage you to prepare your Quebec sponsorship application in advance to avoid delays. Get your application package.
Immigrant Visa for a Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (IR1 or CR1)
To get the right instructions and checklist, select from the drop down menus: Fill out your forms. Use the checklist to prepare your forms. All forms listed on your checklist must be submitted with your application. If you need more space to give answers for any section, use a separate blank page to finish answering. In addition to validating the form and typing your name, you must also sign it by hand before you include it in your paper application package.
To make sure you send us an application with all the necessary documents: Use your checklist to make sure you include all the documents you need to submit: For each item on the checklist, choose the situation that applies to you and check the correct box.
- Guide 5525 – Basic guide: Sponsor your spouse, partner or child?
- The Marriage Based Green Card Interview - A Quick Guide?
- .
- ;
- The Persistence of the Palestinian Question: Essays on Zionism and the Palestinians?
- Healthy Without Chemicals?
Only submit documents that apply to your specific situation. Unless stated in your checklist, you must attach the following for any documents that are not in English or French: Make sure you check that all signatures are provided. A list of required signatures is found on the last page of your checklist. You may need to follow special instructions about specific documents to provide based on the country where the document is issued. For example, there are specific requirements for civil documents from different countries e. Check the list of requirements for the country of issuance of any specific documents e.
This will help make sure you include the correct documents for each item on the checklist. Police certificates You the principal applicant , and any family members 18 or older who are not already Canadian citizens or permanent residents , must submit police certificates from the following country or countries with your application: The country where you or they currently live, if you have lived there for six months or more.
Check your application to avoid common mistakes. Regardless of who you are sponsoring: Always check country specific requirements before submitting your application. For some countries, originals of certain documents are required. In these cases, you must submit the original and not a copy. If you do not submit original documents when required, your application will be returned as incomplete. Elastic bands for photos or paper clips are acceptable. If sponsoring more than one dependent child as a principal applicant, make sure you submit separate complete applications for each child i.
In situations where having this form signed from the other parent is impossible i. A Canadian citizen is not eligible to be sponsored. If you already have proof of Canadian citizenship for your child, provide a copy of this proof citizenship certificate or copy of Canadian passport , to help us confirm that your child does not require immigrant processing. If your child was born in Canada, you can provide a copy of their Canadian long form birth certificate s instead. Children born in Canada If a child was born in Canada, they are likely a Canadian citizen unless they fall under certain exceptions.
If your child was born in Canada but falls under an exception i. To review the instructions for this form, see Guide — Use of Representative. Marriage certificates For spousal sponsorships, make sure you include a valid marriage certificate or proof of registration of your marriage with your application see checklist details. The document s you submit must show that the marriage was legally registered with the government where it took place. A record of solemnization obtained in Canada or marriage license will not be accepted as proof that the sponsor and applicant are married.
Check the country specific requirements to see if there are specific instructions for the country where the marriage took place.
10 Tips for a Successful Visa Interview
Proof of identity documents Proof of identity is an important part of an application to become a permanent resident: Carefully review the checklist sections on identity documents, travel documents, and passports. Make sure you submit a copy of your birth certificate, and if you have included dependents in your application the birth certificates of your family members.
If you are unable to submit a document, you must include a detailed explanation of why you are unable to submit this document so that your application is not automatically returned to you. Filling out the forms You must fill out all sections, unless instructed otherwise.
1. Ties to Home Country
Place any barcode pages right underneath your checklist when you submit your application. If you have problems viewing or validating your forms, please see these Help Centre questions: Barcode page if applicable: Signatures If signatures are missing, we will return the application without processing it. Remember to check for a signature block on each form and sign when needed. If forms are not signed in the correct places, and by the correct people, we will return your application without processing it.
Signatures may be required in more than one place, or by more than one person on some forms. Where a date is needed, make sure you complete the section.
Language selection
A parent or legal guardian must sign on behalf of a dependent child under the age of 18 when a signature for this person is required. Addresses Addresses should be written out in full without using any abbreviations. Any documents without your joint names on it are really not necessary to the case. Do spend sometime before the interview to discuss the facts and the history of your relationship -Spend some time with your spouse reviewing the facts and circumstances surrounding your relationship, such as where and how you met, how your relationship developed, who proposed and how, how did the family accept your relationship, any special things you like to do together, etc.
Even if you and your spouse think you know and. Couples have been known to disagree about facts surrounding the events of the wedding, their last big trip and the spouses birthday party. What you like to eat and what you like to for fun. It is useful to write things down together and exchange notes before the interview just to jog your memory. Dress appropriately; spend some time thinking about what to wear the night before — You should dress professionally, and even conservatively.
The non verbal mode of communication will tell a lot about who you are. Avoid shirts or jewelry with slogans or symbols that might make the officer wonder about your lifestyle or morals. Some of the officer might be traditional and very conservative in the way they think. If you are a young lady, avoid revealing tops and piercing, the officer might cast doubt on your role as a responsible wife. In so many words, we suggest that you dress as if you were going to an important job interview and that your career depends on its success.
Do not get nervous or talk back to the officer at any time - Keep cool at all times. Your biggest enemy if your inability to keep calm composed. Some officer might have a special style of questioning that might intimidate you, and make you nervous. Remember their job is to verify this relationship, never take it personally. Stay calm, answer the questions as you are being asked and keep eye contact with the officer at all times. Never answer back to the officer in a rude manner, this can end the interview right there.
If you feel that you have been mistreated, you can always file a complaint with the supervisor. If you make them feel that you are very very nervous they will become suspicious. It is ok to be slightly edgy, it is only human. Do not lie to the officer or try to predict the answers - Never, ever lie to the officer about any fact connected to the case. You could be charged with misrepresentation and loose the case at that point. If you are not sure about a fact or an answer to a questions, simply say I am not sure or do not know.
Just be honest about it and try to answer the questions to the best of your knowledge. After attending numerous interviews across the country, representing very different couples, appearing before different Immigration Officers, I have realized that all interviews follow a certain blueprint. If there is a problem at the interview, you will need to resolve it before the case can be approved. It is the wish of every applicant that the interview will result in an approval and leave the USCIS building with the Green Card stamp in the passport.
The reality is that many other things can happen at the interview. Because interviews are being scheduled rather quickly theses days, there is not that much time from the fingerprints appointment date and the actual interview. Sometime the outside agencies FBI, etc. If this is the case, the officer can still approve the case, but the Green Card will not be issued until all security checks are clear.
You must check back with the local office periodically to see if there is any progress with the file. Applicants from certain countries might be a more likely target for security checks. When a case is pending for request for evidence, it does not mean that the officer is intending to deny the case. The office needs more documents in order to make a final decision on the case. The immigration officer will issue a form called I and will check the missing items on the form. See sample I below.
Some immigration offices will allow you to hand deliver the evidence while other office will only accept the documents by mail. Your main purpose of coming to the United States should be to study, not for the chance to work before or after graduation. While many students do work off-campus during their studies, such employment is incidental to their main purpose of completing their US education.
You must be able to clearly articulate your plan to return home at the end of your program.
If your spouse is also applying for an accompanying F-2 visa, be aware that F-2 dependents cannot, under any circumstances, be employed in the United States. If asked, be prepared to address what your spouse intends to do with his or her time while in the United States. Volunteer work and attending school part-time are permitted activities. If your spouse and children are remaining behind in your country, be prepared to address how they will support themselves in your absence.
U.S. Visas
This can be an especially tricky area if you are the primary source of income for your family. If the consular officer gains the impression that your family members will need you to remit money from the United States in order to support themselves, your student visa application will almost certainly be denied. If your family does decide to join you at a later time, it is helpful to have them apply at the same post where you applied for your visa. Do not engage the consular officer in an argument.
If you are denied a student visa, ask the officer for a list of documents he or she would suggest you bring in order to overcome the refusal, and try to get the reason you were denied in writing.