USA K1 Visa
USA K1 VISA:
If you are an American citizen you have two ways to bring your foreign spouse (husband or wife) to the United States to live. They are:
Fiancé(e) – If you are an American citizen, you may bring your fiancé(e) to the United States to marry and live here.
|
What Is a “Fiancé(e)”?A fiancé(e) is a person who is engaged or contracted to be married. The marriage must be legally possible according to laws of the state in the United States where the marriage will take place. In general, the two people must have met in person within the past two years. The Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) grants some exceptions to this requirement. For example, it may be contrary in some traditions for a man and woman to meet before marriage. Sometimes the USCIS considers a person a “fiancé(e)” even though a marriage contract has been concluded. In such cases, the American citizen petitioner and his/her spouse have not met, and they have not consummated the marriage. How Does a Fiancé(e) Visa Work?If you are an American citizen and you want your foreign fiancé(e) to travel to the United States to marry you and live in the U.S., you must file Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) in the United States. Filing the PetitionYou must file the Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), Form I-129F, with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office that serves the area where you live. See the Department of Homeland Security’s USCIS Field Offices for information on where you can file the petition. Note: You cannot file this petition at an embassy, consulate or U.S. immigration office abroad After the USCIS approves the petition, it sends the petition to National Visa Center for processing, prior to sending it to the embassy or consulate where your fiancé(e) will apply for a K-1 nonimmigrant visa for a fiancé(e). What Should I Know about International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA)?Detailed information about the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) of 2005 petition requirements are shown in the new Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) instructions. Extending the PetitionThe I-129F petition is valid for four months from the date of approval from USCIS. Consular officers can extend the validity of the petition (revalidate the petition) if it expires before the processing of the visa application is completed. A Fiancé(e) Is Also an ImmigrantBecause a fiancé(e) visa permits the holder to immigrate to the U.S. and marry an American citizen shortly after arrival in the United States, the fiancé(e) must meet some of the requirements of an immigrant visa. Applying for a VisaThe consular section at the embassy or consulate where you, the fiancé(e) of an American citizen, will apply for a visa, will tell you about any additional specific requirements that you need to fulfill to complete your visa application, such as where you need to go for the required medical examination. During the interview process, an ink-free, digital fingerprint scan will be taken. The following is required:
The consular officer may ask for additional information according to the circumstances of the case. Documents in foreign languages should be translated. Take clear, legible photocopies of civil documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, to the interview. Original documents can then be returned to you. Fees – How Much Does It Cost? Fees are charged for the following services:
For current fees for Department of State, government services select Fees. Vaccination RequirementsAll applicants for immigrant visas are required to have the following vaccinations, if appropriate, for age, medical condition, or medical history:
As a fiancé(e), you are not required to fulfill this requirement at the time of your medical examination for a fiancé(e) visa. However, you may want to do so. These vaccinations are required when you adjust status following your marriage. |
You must ensure that the correct fee is included with your application to prevent your application from being rejected. If you are already registered or have an application pending and are applying to add more tiers
If you are registering for the first time
Tier | Fee for small sponsors or sponsor with charitable status | Fee for large sponsor |
Tier 2 only | £300 | £1000 |
Tier 2 and tier 4 | £400 | £1000 |
Tier 2 and tier 5 | £400 | £1000 |
Tier 2 and tier 4 and tier 5 | £400 | £1000 |
Tier 4 only | £400 | £400 |
Tier 4 and tier 5 | £400 | £400 |
Tier 5 only | £400 | £400 |
If you are already registered or have an application pending and are applying to add more tiers
Tier you have already registered under | Tier you want to add | Fee for small sponsors or sponsor with charitable status | Fee for large sponsor |
Tier 2 only | Tier 4 | £100 | £0 |
Tier 5 | £100 | £0 | |
Tier 4 and tier 5 | £100 | £0 | |
Tier 2 and 4 | Tier 5 | £0 | £0 |
Tier 2 and 5 | Tier 4 | £0 | £0 |
Tier 4 only | Tier 2 | £0 | £600 |
Tier 5 | £0 | £0 | |
Tier 2 and 5 | £0 | £600 | |
Tier 4 and 5 | Tier 2 | £0 | £600 |
Tier 5 only | Tier 2 | £0 | £600 |
Tier 4 | £0 | £0 | |
Tier 2 and 4 | £0 | £600 |
If the table above shows you do not need to pay an additional fee to add more tiers to your licence or a pending application make sure that you select 0 as the fee on the payment section of the sponsor application online. If an application is received with an incorrect fee, where an additional payment is required, for example if you pay £300 when the appropriate fee is £400, your application will be rejected and you will be required to re-submit your application, including completing another on-line application form. If Home Office have any doubts about whether your organisation meets the criteria for the category in which you have paid the fee, further checks may be made, and Home Office may ask for additional documents to those sent supporting your application.
When Home Office take the fee for the licence
Home Office charge a fee to consider your application and not to issue a decision. You must send the fee with your application, or your application will be rejected and returned without further consideration. The appropriate fee is charged when the application is received. The fee will not be refunded if you withdraw your application or your application is refused. It is your responsibility to make sure you want to apply before sending us the submission sheet and supporting documents. If you want to register each of your branches separately, every individual branch applying must pay the relevant fee. If you want to register your head office and all United Kingdom branches together, you pay a single licensing fee.