K1 Visa Timeline Process

As you are a US citizen, immigration law gives permission for sponsoring a non-immigrant visa for bringing your fiancé to the US, get married, and live as a family. After marriage, you can also sponsor your married spouse’s application for permanent resident status and then citizenship. Here you will get to know the steps, timeline, and requirements for the whole process.

Requirements for K-1 Visa Application

Here we discuss the eligibility requirements for both the foreign national beneficiary and the US citizen petitioner.

• Must be a US citizen (Note: A permanent US resident is not eligible for sponsoring a fiancé visa)
• Both of you must be eligible to marry
• Your finance and you should prove that you have an intention for marriage and willing to provide a written statement stating that you will get married within 90 days of your sponsored fiancé entry to the US.
• You both should prove that your relationship is legal and not a gimmick for gaining permanent residence
• Before applying for a visa, you should provide evidence that the two of you have met in person at least once. Proof showing hotel reservations, attending events, going for trips will be helpful to convince the immigration officers.
• You must be having a good amount of gross income that must not be below the poverty line

Step by Step Process for K1 Visa Timeline

Filing an I-129F, petition for Alien Fiancé

The first step for the K1 visa application is filing the I-129F that has been filed by the US citizen petitioner. This petition demonstrates that you two will be marrying within 90 days of your fiancé transfer to the US as a K1 immigrant. The USCIS will be having a background check for determining the authenticity of the information in your petition.

Notice of Receipt

After submission of the above form, you will be receiving a notice of action form I-797C from the USCIS for confirming the receipt of your petition. This is sent two or three weeks after filing your petition.

The USCIS will be processing your I-129 Petition

Here the USCIS will go through the form for establishing the eligibility of you and your fiancé. This takes five to seven months. If you fulfill the eligibility, you will get another notification referred to as I-797 ‘NOA2’. It is a one-page letter confirming the approval of your petition by the USCIS. The approved I-129 is transferred to the National Visa Center, and from there, it is forwarded to the US Consulate or Embassy in the beneficiary’s country for the next step.

Filing the K-1 Nonimmigrant Visa Application

The beneficiary fiancé has to apply for a K-1 visa at the consulate or embassy. A medical exam and an interview will be scheduled for the beneficiary fiancé about two weeks after the embassy receives your case. Before the interview date, the beneficiary must file an actual K1 visa by completing the nonimmigrant visa application DS -160.

Visa Interview

The immigration officers are more interested in your relationship history. If the consular officer is convinced, you will be granted a K1 nonimmigrant visa with a 6-month validity and single entry to the US.

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