How to Apply for a Fiancé Visa to America
U.S. immigration law restricts foreign nationals engaged to U.S. citizens from getting married in the United States unless they have entered the country on a fiancé(e) visa, commonly known as a K-1 visa. Therefore, it is important that you and your fiancé(e) petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for this benefit. Since the fiancé(e) visa process can be quite long, start as early as possible.
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Things You'll Need
- Form I-129F
- Form I-129F processing fee
- K-1 visa-processing fee
- Proof of fiancé(e) relationship
Instructions
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Have your U.S. fiancé(e) download and complete Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e). You can download the form from USCIS homepage (see Resources).
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Have your U.S. fiancé(e) file the completed form with USCIS, making sure to include a check covering the processing fee, which, as of June 2010, was $455. Your U.S. fiancé(e) must make the check payable to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”
Once USCIS approves the petition, USCIS will forward the case to the National Visa Center (NVC). Your application will remain at NVC until your local U.S. embassy or consular office is ready to process your case. This can take up to eight weeks.
Expect to receive a packet from your local U.S. embassy or consular office when they start processing your application at the embassy level.
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Complete your medical examination and other requirements, as stipulated in the packet you received from your local U.S. embassy or consular office.
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Pay the K-1 visa-processing fee by locating specific instructions on how to pay the fees on your local U.S. Embassy website. As of June 2010, the fee was $350.00. See Resources for a list of U.S. embassies and consular offices worldwide.
Generally, U.S. consular offices use a specific financial institution that you must visit to pay the fee. Make sure you get a receipt for your payment, as you must provide this receipt at the embassy.
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Get documents showing proof of your relationship with your U.S. fiancé(e). These include, but are not limited to, photos and written affidavits from relatives and other third parties confirming the existence of your relationship.
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Schedule your K-1 visa interview, as directed in the packet you received from the local U.S. embassy.
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Go to the U.S. embassy or consular office on your appointment date. Submit your documents to the consular officer and then pass your interview by demonstrating that your relationship is genuine and not simply a means to an end.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit USA Flagge image by glockemann from Fotolia.com
