K1 Visa Applications For Fiances
The K1 visa allows US citizens to marry their foreign fiances. After the fiance enters the United States, they must get married within 90 days.
K1 visa applications, the petitioner must meet the minimum income requirements. They must also provide proof of their relationship, such as emails, itineraries, photos, and written testimonials.
1. Form DS-160
The online DS-160 is the State Department’s Nonimmigrant Visa Application. It is a questionnaire that asks for personal information about both the U.S. citizen and the foreign national fiance(e). It also asks questions about past immigration information, possible criminal history and other inadmissibility issues.
The DS-160 form also asks both parties for proof that they have a bona fide relationship and that they intend to marry within 90 days of the foreign national’s admission to the United States as a K-1 fiance(e). It is important that the couple carefully fill out the DS-160, taking care not to make any mistakes that could result in inadmissibility or a refusal of a visa.
Applicants must also take a digital photograph that meets specific requirements. Detailed instructions on photograph preparation are available at the Consular Electronic Application Center website. The DS-160 “times out” after 20 minutes of inactivity, so it is essential that the applicant save their data at regular intervals and frequently download or print the confirmation page.
2. Affidavit of Support
The Affidavit of Support is a form that is completed by the petitioning sponsor, who is usually the U.S. citizen fiance that submitted the official Form I-129F. The affidavit is used to demonstrate that the immigration applicant meets income requirements and agrees to not use means-tested public benefits. If the sponsored immigrant does use these benefits, the government can pursue the sponsor to recover the cost.
The affidavit is usually completed by a family member, but friends and religious leaders may also submit it. When filling out this document, the petitioner should take great care to provide detailed information. Incorrect or incomplete information can cause delays in the process. This is why many individuals opt to hire a professional for assistance with this process. For example, an attorney can ensure that the affidavit is complete and accurate before it is submitted to the NVC. They can also provide guidance on the best way to complete it.
3. Medical Examination
All K1 fiance visa applicants must attend and complete a medical exam. This is required to ensure that the fiance does not have any diseases of public health significance, is not taking drugs that pose a risk to others, has all the proper vaccinations and is otherwise fit for immigration to the United States.
The examination is conducted by a civil surgeon in the United States or an authorized panel physician abroad. It is important to know that the general validity of a medical exam is two years from the date it is signed by a civil surgeon. Therefore, it is a good idea to schedule the medical exam to take place no more than 60 days before you submit your visa application.
Once the medical is completed, the civil surgeon will either send it directly to USCIS or give you a sealed envelope of the results. You must bring the unopened medical results with you to your interview.
4. Travel Documents
The K-1 visa allows your partner to travel to the United States and stay here for 90 days. After that, they are expected to get married and then begin the process of adjusting their status to become legal permanent residents of the US.
The couple must provide documentation that they have a real relationship, including photos together, emails, letters from friends and family, itineraries for trips that you’ve made separately but combined, boarding passes for flights in places that you have visited, and so on. They must also show that they met in person within the two years before filing their visa petition. This requirement may be waived if it would violate religious, cultural, or social norms in the foreign fiance(e)’s country of origin.
If the couple does not marry during their allotted 90-day period, they are obligated to leave the United States and cannot reapply for a visa until they complete the process of becoming a marriage-based green card holder.