It may have been one of the most thrilling days of your life when you and your now-fiancé got engaged. With so much excitement surrounding this milestone, you may be eager to take the next step and start your life together. However, taking this next step may pose more of a challenge if you and your fiancé live in different countries. That is, if you are a United States citizen and they are not. However, you may be glad to hear that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offers K-1 visas, otherwise known as fiancé visas, for those in similar situations to yours. With that being said, please follow along to find out what to expect from the K-1 visa process and how one of the proficient green card lawyers at Lupton Law LLC can help you better understand what it entails.
What can I expect the K-1 visa process to entail?
Before all else, the K-1 visa may allow your foreign fiancé to enter the country legally. Then, it may allow you and your fiancé to get married within 90 days of arrival. Lastly, it may allow your now-spouse to apply for an adjustment of status to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e., a green card holder). Of note, there are certain actions that both you and your fiancé are expected to take to make this happen. They read as follows:
- The United States citizen fiancé may be expected to:
- File Form I-129, Petition for Alien Fiancé.
- Submit proof of the legitimacy of your and your fiancé’s relationship.
- Complete Form I-134, Affidavit of Support.
- The foreign fiancé may be expected to:
- File Form DS-160, Online Application for a Nonimmigrant Visa.
- Gather relevant documents (i.e., birth certificate, passport, etc).
- Submit to a medical examination with a physician authorized by the USCIS.
- Attend a visa interview with their country’s U.S. embassy or consulate.
How long can I expect the K-1 visa process to take?
On average, as of May 2024, it takes the USCIS three to six months to process a K-1 visa application. Then, once your case is forwarded to the National Visa Center, is may take approximately another four to six weeks.
While this may seem like a long time to wait, you and your fiancé may utilize this downtime to your advantage. That is, you may take this as an opportunity to prepare your fiancé for their very important visa interview. Plus, you may start working out the logistics for your wedding to ensure it happens within 90 days of your fiancé’s hopeful arrival.
The time to act is now. Please do not hesitate to schedule your free initial consultation with one of the talented family-based immigration lawyers from Lupton Law LLC.
