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HomeUS Visas for Thai Citizens
US Spouse Visa (CR-1/IR-1)
How We Help
US Spouse Visa (CR-1/IR-1)
for Thai Citizens
For a Thai spouse immigrating to the United States to live with their US citizen husband or wife, the CR-1/IR-1 process involves petition, financial, civil and relationship evidence from both sides of the marriage. Lawyers for Expats Thailand helps couples organise the case from the petition stage through immigrant visa processing and the consular decision.
How We Help
What we do when you apply
A spouse immigrant visa case is prepared around your marriage and circumstances, not a template. Here is what happens from the first call through to the visa decision.
1
Understand Your Marriage and Immigration Plans
We start by understanding the marriage, relationship history, previous marriages where relevant, where both spouses live and the couple's plans to build their life together in the United States.
2
Build the Petition and Relationship Evidence
We organise the marriage, relationship, civil and supporting evidence needed for the I-130 petition and later immigrant visa stages.
3
Prepare the Financial and Visa Documents
As the case moves forward, we help organise the sponsor-side financial documentation and the Thai spouse's civil and immigrant visa documents for the NVC and consular stages.
4
Support the Case Through to the Visa Decision
We help both spouses keep the information and documents consistent as the matter progresses and assist with further-document requirements where appropriate. USCIS and the relevant US consular authorities make the immigration and visa decisions, not Lawyers for Expats Thailand.
What We Do For Our Clients
The full scope of what we handle
A spouse immigrant visa case touches the petition, the financial sponsorship and the immigrant visa stage together. Here is the actual scope of what our team handles.
Establishing the Marriage and Correct Spouse Route
The CR-1/IR-1 route is an immigrant visa route for a qualifying spouse of a US citizen, and the couple must already be legally married. This is different from the K-1 route: a K-1 fiancé(e) has not yet married the petitioner, while a CR-1/IR-1 applicant is already legally married.
Q
Can we use the CR-1 or IR-1 route if we are not married yet?
No. The CR-1/IR-1 immigrant visa route is for a qualifying spouse. Couples who are not yet married need to consider the appropriate fiancé(e) or other route based on their actual circumstances.
Preparing the I-130 Petition Evidence
The US citizen spouse begins the immigrant spouse process by filing Form I-130 with USCIS. The case may involve evidence relating to the legal marriage, US citizenship, identity, relationship history, previous marriages, termination of previous marriages where relevant, the genuine marital relationship, and other petition evidence appropriate to the couple.
Q
Is the marriage certificate enough by itself?
No. The marriage certificate establishes the legal marriage, but the petition and immigrant visa process can also require evidence concerning the genuine marital relationship and the circumstances of both spouses. We organise the evidence around the marriage as a whole.
Preparing Evidence of the Genuine Marriage
The case should present the real marital relationship clearly. Depending on circumstances this may involve relationship chronology, time spent together, communications, photographs, travel, shared finances, joint responsibilities, living arrangements, family involvement, future plans, and other genuine marriage evidence.
Financial Sponsorship and NVC Preparation
Immigrant spouse visa processing includes financial sponsorship documentation, and the US petitioner generally has an Affidavit of Support responsibility as part of that processing. Depending on the circumstances, the financial stage may involve petitioner financial evidence, income documentation, domicile-related evidence where relevant, household member or joint sponsor material where permitted and necessary, and other supporting financial documents.
Q
What happens if the US spouse's income is not enough?
The financial sponsorship rules can allow additional qualifying financial support in some circumstances, including a joint sponsor or qualifying household-member income. The correct approach depends on the case, so we review the financial position before the sponsorship documents are prepared.
Preparing the Thai Spouse's Civil and Visa Documents
The immigrant visa stage involves substantial applicant documentation. Depending on the case this may include passport and identity documents, birth and civil documents, marriage documentation, divorce or previous-marriage documents where relevant, police certificates where required, financial and sponsor documents, immigrant visa application information, relationship evidence, medical examination requirements, and other documents requested for the visa process. Translations may be required where appropriate.
Preparing for the Consular Interview and Decision
After the petition and NVC and document stages, the Thai spouse proceeds to the immigrant visa interview at the relevant US consular post. We help check documents, review names and dates, check marriage chronology, organise relationship evidence, organise sponsor evidence, prepare the applicant to understand the interview process, and respond to further-document requests where appropriate — we do not coach false answers.
Q
Who decides whether the CR-1/IR-1 visa is approved?
USCIS decides the immigrant petition, and the relevant US consular authority makes the immigrant visa decision. Lawyers for Expats Thailand helps prepare and organise the case but does not control or guarantee either outcome.
Our Commitment To You
What you can hold us to
Your Genuine Marriage Comes First
We prepare the case around the real history and circumstances of your marriage rather than treating every couple as identical.
Petition and Visa Evidence Brought Together
We organise the US petitioner's evidence and the Thai spouse's documents so the case remains consistent as it moves from petition through immigrant visa processing.
Financial and Civil Documents Prepared Carefully
We help organise the sponsorship and applicant documentation required at the relevant stages without relying on one generic checklist.
Supported Through to the Visa Decision
We remain involved as the case progresses and help both spouses understand the documents and next stages while remaining clear that US government authorities make the decisions.
Who You'll Work With
Real people, not a case number
Kanokpich Ukritdutsadee (Lawyer Pook)
Managing Director & Lead Barrister
Leads the preparation of CR-1/IR-1 spouse visa cases for Thai clients, personally responsible for ensuring the petition and marriage evidence presented reflects the couple's genuine circumstances.
Brian Ramsden
General Manager of Foreign Affairs
Your first point of contact. Brian coordinates the initial assessment of the marriage, petition and financial evidence, and stays as your liaison as the case moves through NVC processing toward the interview.
Related Resources
More on visas abroad for Thai citizens
For the other US visa services we handle, or other destinations we assist Thai citizens travelling to, see the pages below.
US Visas for Thai Citizens
→Visitor, fiancé(e), family-based and business visitor visas, and visa refusals, for travel to the United States
US Fiancé(e) Visa (K-1) for Thai Citizens
→Relationship, petition and visa-stage preparation for Thai fiancé(e)s of US citizens applying for a K-1 visa
US Visitor Visa (B-1/B-2) for Thai Citizens
→Application preparation for Thai citizens travelling to the United States for tourism, family visits or permitted business visits
Visas Abroad for Thai Citizens
→Visa application support for Thai citizens travelling to the UK, Europe, Australia, the US and more
Lawyers for Expats Thailand, 2026. The content of this page is general legal information and does not constitute legal advice for any specific matter. Please contact us for advice on your individual circumstances.