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Immigration

Fiancé(e) visas (K-1)

For U.S. citizens who want to bring the person they plan to marry to the United States for the wedding.

We walk you through the whole K-1 process: the petition, the interview at the U.S. embassy, and the green card after you marry.

Book a consultationCall 212-680-4139
Primary forms

I-129F · I-485

The forms at the center of your case

Is this you?

A quick check, before we talk.

Tick anything that sounds like your situation. It's just for you — nothing is saved or sent.
Statements that may describe your situation

5 statements. Tick the ones that describe you.

Only a consultation can confirm eligibility. This is general information, not legal advice.

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How it works

A clear path, start to finish.

The same five-step method, applied to your case.

  1. Check that a K-1 is the right path

    Not every couple needs a K-1. If you are already married, or you plan to marry abroad, a spouse petition is usually the right route instead. We confirm which one fits before anything is filed.

  2. Form I-129F

    File the fiancé(e) petition

    We prepare the petition that asks USCIS to recognize your relationship, with proof that you met in person and that you both intend to marry within 90 days of your fiancé(e) arriving.

  3. Form DS-160

    The consulate stage

    After USCIS approves the petition it goes to the National Visa Center, then to the U.S. embassy or consulate where your fiancé(e) lives. Your fiancé(e) files the online visa application and is given an interview date.

  4. Form I-134 (if the officer asks for it)

    Medical exam and interview

    Every K-1 applicant has a medical exam with an approved panel physician and brings police certificates and proof of your relationship to the interview. We prepare your fiancé(e) for the questions a consular officer asks.

  5. Form I-485

    Marry, then apply for the green card

    The wedding has to happen within 90 days of your fiancé(e) being admitted. After it, we file the green card application for your new spouse, and for K-2 children.

Fixed fee

What your fixed fee covers.

One fee, agreed in writing before we begin. Nothing hidden.

Included

In your fee

  • Checking whether a K-1 or a spouse petition fits your plans
  • Preparing and filing Form I-129F with the evidence USCIS asks for
  • Guiding your fiancé(e) through the consulate stage and the DS-160
  • Interview preparation for both of you
  • Filing the green card application after the wedding

Not included

Billed separately

  • The medical exam and vaccinations, paid directly to the panel physician
  • Translation of documents that are not in English
  • Consular or embassy costs abroad, paid directly to the U.S. Department of State
  • Removing the two-year conditions later, which we handle as a separate matter

Government and court fees are set by the agency, not by us, and change from time to time. Current USCIS amounts are published at uscis.gov/fees.

Come prepared

What to bring to your consultation.

Bring what you have. If something's missing, we'll tell you how to get it.
  • Proof that you are a U.S. citizen: passport, birth certificate, or naturalization certificate
  • Your fiancé(e)'s full name, date of birth, and passport
  • Proof you met in person in the last two years, such as photos, tickets, or passport stamps
  • Divorce decrees or death certificates for any earlier marriages, for both of you
  • The names and dates of birth of your fiancé(e)'s children under 21

Questions

Frequently asked.

No. Only a U.S. citizen can file the K-1 fiancé(e) petition. If you are a permanent resident, the usual route is to marry first and then file a spouse petition, and we look at that option with you.

Your fiancé(e) is admitted for 90 days, and you must marry each other inside that window. K-1 status cannot be extended, so we plan the wedding date with you before anyone travels.

The rule is that you must have met in person within the two years before filing. You can ask USCIS to waive it if meeting would go against strict, long-established customs of your fiancé(e)'s culture, or would cause you extreme hardship. Each waiver request is decided on its own facts.

Children who are unmarried and under 21 may qualify for a K-2 visa. Their names have to be listed on the petition. They can travel with your fiancé(e) or later, but not before.

They can apply for a work permit. One based on K-1 status alone only covers the 90 days of that status, so most couples file the work permit together with the green card application instead.

If you have been married less than two years on the day the green card is approved, it is conditional and valid for two years. Removing those conditions is a separate case — see our page on removing conditions on a green card.

Next step

Ready to talk about your fiancé(e) visa case? We’ll take it from there.

Book a consultationCall 212-680-4139
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