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The process of obtaining a K1 Fiancee Visa can be quite complicated. I know from experience that the US Department of State website can be confusing to understand and navigate. The following is guidance on the process of obtaining the K1 Fiancee Visa that will help simplify the process of getting your international fiancée to the United States in order to marry her.
Petition for an Alien Fiancée.
You as an American citizen must file this petition within US borders. You include information about you and your international fiancée. Send a completed Form I-129F to your local US Citizenship and Immigration Services office along with a filing fee of $455 which is subject to change. Once the petition is approved, it will be sent to the National Visa Center. Once approved there, it will be forwarded to the international US consulate nearest the fiancee to begin the process of issuing a visa.
Extend the Alien Fiancee Petition.
The petition is valid for only 4 months from the day it is approved by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services office. The time it takes for the petition to go through the National Visa Center and be forwarded onto the designated US consulate office can take longer than 4 months. If the petition arrives at the consulate and has expired you must request that a consular officer revalidate the petition before the visa process can continue. This is not a difficult task. Simply contact the consulate and request an extension on the petition.
Schedule an interview.
As soon as the petition is received by the US consulate the foreign fiancée must call and schedule an interview. Schedule an interview as soon as possible since wait times can be as long as months and years away depending on the country and the specific embassy or consulate.
Gather the necessary documentation.
As the petition is being processed and as you are waiting for the interview date to arrive the foreign fiancée should be gathering additional documentation that is to be included with the K1 Fiancee Visa application. Any documents that are not in English should be officially translated.
- She must obtain a valid passport if she does not have one already.
- Request an official copy of her birth certificate.
- She must obtain police certificates from every place lived stating that she has not been involved with criminal activity.
- She must receive a medical examination from an approved doctor or clinic (check with the consulate for a specific list of preferred doctors). This doctor’s visit often includes receiving required immunizations. The doctor will have a form he fills out to be included in the application.
- Evidence of a fiancé relationship to prove that your relationship is genuine. This includes plane tickets, phone records, emails, and pictures. It also helps if the American fiancé is present at the time of the interview to be asked questions about the relationship as well.
Fill out the appropriate forms correctly.
It is important to take care when your foreign fiancée is filling out forms for the visa application. Hand writing should be neat and legible. The English language should be used only. No characters or hieroglyphics should be included in the application. She should never leave a question blank. If a section of a form does not apply to her she should write “N/A” which means “Not Applicable.” The forms that must be filled out include:
- 2 nonimmigrant visa applications (Form DS-156).
- 1 nonimmigrant fiancé(e) visa application (Form DS-156K).
- 1 evidence of financial support form from an American citizen (Form I-134).
- 1 medical examination form from an approved doctor or clinic.
Pay the necessary fees.
Check the official website at the US consulate your foreign fiancee will be interviewing at for detailed information on how to pay visa fees. The visa application fee is $131 USD. Many consulates require that you pay a visa application fee prior to the interview at a local bank and bring the receipt along with you. You almost always should be prepared with enough money to pay a separate visa issuance fee that varies at the time of the interview which is often required if the K1 Fiancee Visa is granted.
Attend the consulate interview.
The next step is to be open, honest and friendly at the interview with a consulate officer. At the time of the interview the foreign fiancée will be asked to provide electronic fingerprints which can include a fee. Again, call or check online ahead of time to be sure of the specific fees required at the consulate you will be getting the K1 Fiancee Visa from. At the time of the interview your foreign fiancée will be told whether or not she has been issued the K1 Fiancee Visa.
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