Connecting Hearts Across Borders
The Fiancée (K-1) visa is designed for the foreign-citizen fiancée of a United States citizen. It permits the foreign-citizen to travel to the U.S. and marry their U.S. citizen sponsor within 90 days of arrival. The K-1 visa creates a pathway to permanent residency, enabling the holder to apply for an adjustment of status with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) following marriage in the United States.
To qualify for a fiancée visa, you must intend to marry your fiancé within 90 days of their arrival in the U.S. You and your fiancé must also be free to marry, meaning that you will have to provide evidence that any prior marriages are over, such as divorce or death certificates.
Additionally, you will be required to show that you met your fiancé in person at least once in the two years prior to filing your petition. There may be a waiver of this physical presence requirement available if it will cause you extreme hardship or violate your fiancée’s customs or culture.
Children under the age of 21 who are unmarried may also be included in the petition, which is an advantage to marriage-based petition which may not permit sponsorship in instances where the marriage happened after the child turned 18.
Requesting the Visa
The process begins with the U.S. citizen petitioner filing the fiancée petition in the United States. Once the fiancée petition is approved, it is forwarded to the National Visa Center, which assigns a case number and forwards the petition to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that has jurisdiction over the place where the fiancée lives.
Prior to the scheduling of the interview at the consulate or embassy, the beneficiary needs to gather the appropriate documents, such as civil documents and evidence of financial support, as well as schedule and complete a medical examination. There are other fees associated with this step.Once the fiancée visa is issued, beneficiary must enter the United States and marry their U.S. citizen fiancée within 90 days of entry. After that, they can apply for Green Card Applications.