Applying for a K-1 Visa: Step 1

Step 1: The US citizen fills out a I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiance(e)) and a few related biographic forms (G-325A) and sends them to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

I downloaded the I-129F form from this page here and have started filling it out. Doesn't seem too tricky. There are a few extra "biographic" forms (G-325A) that go along with it, so don’t forget these. (You can download them here. Not all websites seem to mention that you need to include other items as well. These include 'evidence' that you have met (seen each other) in the past two years, and written statements from you both that you intend to marry.

You will need information for both yourself and for your fiancee, so set aside some time in your next phone conversation or visit, have all your important documents available, and a little patience and just get through it!

Some snags you might encounter:

A# (Alien Registration #) Write N/A if you don’t have one.

Birth certificate number, date issued and place. (Get a copy of your birth certificate so you can have these!)

Have to provide documents evidence that you are a US citizen.

Don't forget:
Biographical forms
Passport size photos
Your $170 payment

There is really NO substitute for carefully reading all the instructions for this part of the process. Everyone's case is going to be slightly different so you may have to provide slightly different documentation.

Applying for a K-1 Visa: Three Steps

At first glance, the process for applying for a fiance(e) (K-1) visa might look difficult. As I understand it though, it can be broken down into three easy-to-understand steps:

1. The US citizen fills out a I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiance(e)) and a few related biographic forms (G-325A) and sends them to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

2. After the USCIS processes and approves the Petition, it transfers your case to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC does further processing and then transfers your case to the consulate in the foreign fiance’s home country.

3. The foreign fiance must apply for the K-1 visa. This involves filling out paperwork, gathering of documents and evidence of the fiance(e) relationship, and an interview as well.

Now, I wondered about how long this whole process would take so I did several Google searches. Timelines varied between 6 months and a year and a half. Ugh! I best get started right away! David arrives in the US in just a few days for a visit. We'll start filling out the paperwork and apply for a bank account for him and some other to-do's, so we'll keep you all informed.

Marrying an Alien: The Initial Research

My boyfriend David is French. And I am an American. Here is our story-as it happens-of my quest to marry a foreigner, bring him to the US on a Fiancee (K-1) visa, get a green card and one day, obtain US citizenship. I hope this site will help others out there simplify the craziness that is US immigration and explain the Fiance K-1 visa, I-129 petition process, Social Security Card, bank account application, and other related issues in plain English. It seems there are few good resources for US citizens marrying foreigners, and I hope to keep you from having to do as much of the hard work as we had to.

David and I have been in a long-long distance relationship for over a year now, yet always planning to marry. I have been casually searching the Web for a few months now for references on the best way to marry a foreigner and bring him/her to the US. I suppose there are a number of different approaches you can make, but there are a few general sites that seem to be relevant for all and worthy of your bookmarking:

US Citizenship & Immigration Services

How do I bring my fiance to the United States?

Sifting through all this information and masses of documents, David and I decide to try for a K-1 (Fiancee) Visa. A K-1 visa is a type of visa that will allow your fiance to come live in the US during the time you are engaged up until your marriage date (for 90 days max). Before the K-1 visa, your fiance/fiancee would have had to come into the country on another type of visa, marry you, and then might have to go back to his or her home country while you work on paperwork. Ideally, the K-1 visa seems to help smooth the bumps in the process.

There are other visa approaches that a couple might consider of course, dependent on the situation. The K-1 seems to be best for us. Keep reading my blog to learn more about the K-1 visa and see how our journey goes.