How to Adjust Your K-3 Visa Status After You Arrive in the U.S.A.
A K-3 visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to the foreign spouse of a U.S. citizen awaiting approval for a Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. Mandated by the Legal Immigration Family Equity (LIFE) Act of December 2000, this visa type reunites U.S. citizens and their foreign spouses given the backlog of immigration petitions waiting approval. Since the K-3 visa is not an immigrant visa, you must file a Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to change your status. The approval of both Forms I-130 and I-485 allows you to become a permanent resident.
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Instructions
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Visit the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) homepage and then download Form I-485 (see Resources).
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Complete Form I-485 by typing directly into the form, making sure to answer every question. If a question is not applicable in your case, type "N/A."
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Sign and print your completed Form I-485.
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Call USCIS' customer service center at 800-375-5283 and then provide your zip code to receive information about all USCIS-approved civil surgeons in your area.
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Contact a civil surgeon in your area and then schedule a medical examination with him/her.
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Complete your medical examination, fill out part one of Form I-693, Report of Medical Examination and Vaccination Report (see Resources) and then sign the form in front of the surgeon. Your surgeon will give you a sealed envelope of the completed Form I-693.
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Get two color passport-sized photos taken of you. The photos must be 2-by-2-inches and identical. The photo must be taken against a white to off-white background.
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Gather supporting documents for your application. These include an official document/arrest record from an arresting authority or a court of law (if you have ever been arrested), copy of your foreign birth certificate, copy of your passport page displaying your K-3 visa and a sealed Form I-693.
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Download and complete Form G-325A, Biographic Information (see Resources), if you are between the ages of 14 and 79.
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Make a check or money order covering the processing fee of your petition. As of 2010, this fee is $1,010. Your payment must be made payable to "U.S. Department of Homeland Security." If you use a check, the account must be from a U.S. bank.
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Mail your completed forms and supporting documents to the USCIS Lockbox address for your jurisdiction, as stipulated in the "Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-485" page (see Resources).
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit passport image by Aleksandr Lobanov from Fotolia.com
