K1 Visa Process
What is The Process to Obtain a K1 Fiancee Visa
Acquiring a K1 visa involves numerous phases throughout the process. The initial step requires the U.S. citizen to file a petition to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Upon the application being accepted by USCIS, then the fiancee will finish the remainder of the process to acquire a K1 visa. As customary, the US embassy will need other related and required paperwork from the fiancée. Furthemrore, they will be required to have a medical exam and a face to face interview.
- The American citizen fills out and sends in their petition for his foreign fiancée or her foreign fiance to the USCIS.
- The petitioner will send in Form I-129F “Petition for Alien Fiancee”, together with Form G-325A, proper fees and all other requested or related paperwork to the proper USCIS Service Center.
- In approximately three weeks, the American will get in the mail from USCIS Form I-797, their first Notice of Action (NOA), confirming that their petition is in USCIS offices.
- Contingent on processing times, the American then gets a supplemntal NOA from the USCIS confirming that their petition for a K1 visa has ,in fact, been accepted.
- The petition is then sent by the USCIS to the National Visa Center.
- The National Visa Center will process the file and conduct a preliminary background check on your fiancée, then forward the approved petition to the fiancee’s embassy, which is recorded on form I-129F.
Obtaining the Fiancee Visa
- The foreign embassy gets the file from the National Visa Center and processes it in their location.
- The embassy then sends out a packet to the fiancée which includes a list of items required to move forward. The fiancée has to send back specific documents to the embassy as soon as possible, the earlier the better. There will be some items that can be carried directly to the interview.
- Upon those being received by the embassy, a formal letter will be sent to the confirming the visa interview date and time.
- Meanwhile, the fiancée can go to a medical interview and pass that.
- During the visa interview, the interviewing officer will go over all the paperwork, make some questions, and provide a decision.
- If it is approved, the K1 fiancee visa will be issued, subject to the embassy involved, on the same exact day or within five days.
Entry into the U.S. with the Fiancee Visa
- The beneficiary is able to travel to the U.S. within 180 days of the K1 visa issuance date.
- At the port of entry, an immigration officer will examine the documents and effectuate the visa, permitting your fiancee to legally come into the U.S.
Initial Phases - Once Inside the U.S.A
- The K1 fiancee visa person is strongly recommended to apply for a Social Security number briefly following entry into the U.S.
- Both of you are now eligible to apply for a marriage license.
Marriage
- The marriage must occur within 90 days of entering the USA.
Post Marriage
- If the foreign born spouse will do a name change following the marriage, bring the recently acquired social security card and marriage certificate to the social security office and perform the necessary steps for a name change on the card.
Permanent Resident with Adjustment of Status
- . It is significant to file for the Adjustment of Status (AOS) preceding the K1 expiration date, or you risk being classified as out-of-status. If the foreign born spouse elects to work in the U.S. or travel outside the U.S. prior to being granted status as a permanent resident, an Advance Parole (AP) and/or Employment Authorization Document (EAD) must be filed along with the AOS.
I want to thank you for all the hard work, lengthy paper preparation, and moreover the
patience in dealing with the embassy. I know the embassy has not always been exactly
"customer-friendly" so big high fives for all the help.
