How to Prepare to File for a K1 Visa
To file for a K-1 nonimmigrant visa for a fiancé, there are a number of criteria that must be met by the couple. The visa application process requires a petition from the U.S. citizen sponsor and an application by the foreign fiancé. Once the visa is obtained, it requires the couple to legally marry in the U.S. within 90 days of the fiancé's entrance. Tthe process can take six months or more from the time the original petition is filed. Your fiancé will be required to attend an interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate to determine eligibility for the visa.
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Instructions
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Meet your foreign fiancé in person within two years before attempting to file the petition. You must be able to prove that you met in person. Keep any applicable travel receipts and hotel receipts. Take pictures together and date the photos. If possible, obtain pictures of you with your fiancé's family or pictures of your fiancé with your family.
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Check the specific embassy website for the country and region in which your fiancé lives. Each country and embassy has specific requirements for additional documentation above and beyond the standard required by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Some countries require that specific shots also be obtained by your fiancé.
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Obtain financial records. You will need a statement from your bank indicating the total amount of deposits for the previous year and current balances on your accounts. Make copies of your previous year's tax records. Some countries require the previous three years of tax records.
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Print copies of phone records and personal emails. When possible, print the emails with the full headers showing which include IP addresses for the servers where the emails originated. Phone records must show the time and date of the call as well as the number dialed. Using a calling card will not show the correct number and thus will not be useful as valid proof.
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Set aside the money needed to pay for the filing fees, wedding and subsequent immigration. There is one filing fee for the I-129F petition that must be filed first. Another fee must be paid by your fiancé for medical records and any shots needed. A third fee must be paid for the visa itself. Once your fiancé arrives, you must get married, which means you will need to pay for the marriage license and ceremony. After the ceremony, more immigration paperwork must be filed immediately and the fees associated with that paperwork paid.
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Tips & Warnings
Make several copies of all paperwork. Mail only the originals as required.
Obtaining any type of U.S. visa does not guarantee entry into the country. The final decision is made by the immigration officer at the point of entry.
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