Fiancé visa to the USA in 2021: what is a K1 visa

What is a US fiance visa?

The US fiancé visa is a non-immigrant visa whose primary purpose is to allow a foreign national and a US citizen to remain in the US for the purpose of marriage.
Although the visa itself is nonimmigrant, the requirements that must be met are similar to those for immigrant visas because after receiving the visa, the foreign national will marry and move to the United States within a short time. Important: US citizenship of the future husband/future wife is a mandatory requirement.

A fiancé visa is not the only option to come to the United States to meet your future spouse, but given the strict US legislation regarding sham marriages, it is better to use it.

Obtaining a fiancé visa is an important step in the process of immigrating to the United States based on marriage, which allows you to apply for US citizenship in the future. It is for this reason that it is important to comply with all requirements for obtaining a fiancé visa to the United States. There are a lot of visa refusals, and challenging them is difficult. Therefore, before organizing the process, you need to clearly understand what they want to see from the visa applicant.

Required documents

A bride from Russia will have to prepare an impressive set of various papers:

Questionnaire DS-160. You fill it out directly on the website, in English. Remember that your full name should be written in Cyrillic. If you have children with you, fill out separately for each child. It is provided to the Consulate before the interview via the Internet.
Confirmation page with barcode. Without it, the interview will not take place.
International passport. It must remain valid two months after the expiration date of the immigrant visa.
Two color photos (50x50).
Original birth certificate.
Photocopies of documents confirming that previous marriages have ended.
Military ID if you served in the army.
Certificates of no criminal record, if you are over 18. Provided for each first name/surname if they have changed at the place of residence. If necessary, they should be translated into English.
Extracts from court decisions if you have been charged with crimes. Doesn't depend on what the sentence was. Originals and copies will be required. Translation into English is required.
Medical examination results in a sealed envelope. For the medical examination itself, photographs will also be required, as well as for a visa (5 pcs.).
As confirmation of the relationship - photos, emails and regular letters, etc.

US Fiancé Visa Requirements

Relationships must be real.

In other words, marriage should not be fictitious. And this is perhaps the most important requirement. In the United States, fictitious marriages are treated very strictly, due to which a thorough check is carried out to ensure that persons have actually been in a relationship for the last two years prior to filing, and many requirements are placed on future spouses (and especially on the foreign citizen). Immigrants who enter into a sham marriage may be subject to fines/deportation/imprisonment.

As evidence of the existence of a relationship, various materials will be examined, such as correspondence, photographs, hotel reservations, etc. for the last two years preceding the filing of the visa petition. The success of issuing a visa depends on the number of documents, among other things, so it is better to provide as many as possible and minimize the risk of requesting additional evidence from US authorities.

Important: All documents must be translated into English.

Intent to marry within 90 days.

The US fiancé visa requires that the marriage be consummated within 90 days of the bride/groom's arrival outside the United States. If the marriage is not consummated within 90 days or the marriage is to a U.S. citizen other than the one who petitioned for the visa, the bride/groom will no longer be legally present in the United States and will be required to leave the country.

The intention to marry within 90 days is formalized in the form of a letter from the future spouses in free form.

Financial viability of the applicant.

The bride/groom who plans to obtain a K1 visa to the USA must confirm sufficient financial resources to live in the USA (at least for the first time).

Availability of necessary documents.

To qualify for a K1 visa, a foreign citizen must collect the following package of documents:

Completed Form DS-160 and confirmation of online submission;
Passport valid at the time of travel to the USA and for 6 months after the intended period of stay in the USA;
Birth certificate;
If there are previous marriages, a certificate of divorce or death certificate of the previous spouse (required for both a foreign citizen and a US citizen);
Certificate of no criminal record;
Medical certificate confirming completion of a medical examination;
Documents confirming the applicant’s financial status (for example, bank statements);
Two photographs 2x2;
Evidence of a relationship with a US citizen.

Payment of the fee for obtaining a visa.

To apply for a fiancé visa, you must pay a government fee. Today the amount is US$265.

Interview at the consulate

When speaking with a US consular representative, you will need to provide Form KEV-1 as well as the originals of all required documents. Papers whose original language is not English must be supplemented with a translation. The correctness of the translation must be notarized. Proper documentation is extremely important. After the interview, all original documents will be returned, except for the police certificate.

Example of a notarized translation

An important aspect of obtaining a visa is the financial stability of the US fiancé, proof of which must also be presented to consular officials. A copy of the required document can be sent by fax or email. Such a document can be a salary certificate, bank statements about the balance of an account, or a tax return.

During the interview, the consular officer will ask you questions about your fiancé (bride), for example, where and under what circumstances was the first meeting, when the decision was made to get married.

This is necessary, since the US legal framework requires ensuring the reality of the relationship between future spouses.

According to the procedure, the consular officer must see evidence that the bride and groom have met at least once in the last two years, and that you intend to marry within ninety days of meeting in the United States. After finishing the conversation with you, the embassy employee will check the documentation you collected. He must ensure that the applicant is eligible for a US visa.

If it happens that your visa application is refused, a written notice will be issued at the end of the interview, which will explain what additional documents you will need to provide or how to make an appointment for the interview again.

In case of a positive decision on issuing a visa, the documentation (petition, copy of birth certificate, medical examination document, questionnaire) is sealed in an envelope, which, together with your passport, will be sent to you for presentation to the customs service during customs control. Please note that consular officials will destroy all copies after you receive your visa.

Procedure for obtaining a fiancé visa to the USA

Filing a petition;

The procedure for obtaining a fiancé visa to the United States begins with the filing of a visa petition with USCIS by a US citizen (the future spouse of a foreign citizen).

Let us remind you: USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) is the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, the main body regulating immigration issues.

The petition is submitted on Form I-129F, a sample of which can be found on the US Citizenship and Immigration Services website.

It is very important to fill out the petition correctly, for which you can find instructions on how to fill it out on the USCIS website.

Please note: The petition cannot be filed outside the United States.

Waiting for the petition to be approved;

It may take some time for your petition to be approved, depending on the completeness of the information provided and the correct completion of Form I-129F.

Submission of petition to NVC;

Once your petition has been successfully approved by USCIS, it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC). NVC also reviews all information and data provided on the form.

Submission of the request to the Consulate/Embassy;

Once the NVC has reviewed all the information, the K1 visa request is sent to the Consulate/Embassy of the country where the bride/groom (foreign country residents) will be receiving the K1 visa.

Receiving instructions for an interview;

Once the request is accepted by the Consulate/Embassy, the bride/groom will be sent instructions for the upcoming interview. The standard period for receiving instructions is 1-1.5 months from the moment the case is transferred to the Embassy.

Completing and submitting an application on Form DS-160;

After receiving instructions, you must submit an application on Form DS-160. The application must be submitted electronically prior to the interview.

Important: Be sure to print the Form DS-160 confirmation page when you arrive for your interview.

Conducting an interview;

The consul conducts the interview on the appointed date. There is usually no need to prepare for an interview, because if the relationship is real, the consul’s questions will not cause difficulties.

Issuance of a fiancee visa.

If the interview was successful, the fiancé visa will be approved and will be issued after some time. The issuance time depends on many circumstances, but on average it takes about 1 month.

Features of the K1 visa

The K-1 visa is a visa for the fiancé or fiancé of a US citizen. This type of visa allows the future spouse to enter the United States to get married.

A US citizen is required to file an application on Form I-129F, this is a petition for fiancee to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Dаfllаs Lockbox.

The bride and groom are given 90 days to get married. The days are counted from the arrival of the bride in the groom's country.

After the marriage is concluded, the bride must submit documents to be assigned permanent resident status to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security.

US fiancé visa validity period

A US fiancé visa is valid for 90 days from the date the visa holder arrives in the US. This means that the visa holder must marry a US citizen within 90 days. Otherwise, you must leave American territory.

There are often cases when applicants expect that the 90-day period will be allowed to be extended. It's a delusion. The period cannot be extended.

After marriage, you can apply to change your status to U.S. Permanent Resident (LPR) status.

Visa period

According to information posted on the official website of the US Embassy in Russia, the timing of obtaining a visa depends mainly on how quickly the inviting and entering parties collect and submit all the necessary documents.

The following stages of document review are approximately recorded:

Petition processing – 15 days;
sending documents from Dallas to the US Embassy in Russia and an interview with the bride is carried out the next month after the month the bride and groom submit all documents;
The visa is issued a few weeks after the interview.

For visa permits in this category, there are no delays due to restrictions on the number of visas issued by the government. Unlike, for example, work visas, which America issues very few of, and their applicants can wait for years.

Difficulties

In Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania, the interview can be done in English and, in some cases, in the language of the country where the interview is taking place, that is, in Polish, Ukrainian or Lithuanian, respectively. This somewhat complicates the process of obtaining a US visa for those who do not speak English very well. Although experienced US visa applicants recommend not demonstrating excellent knowledge of English, this may serve as a signal that you want to immigrate. In this case, you risk being rejected.

Article on the topic

Is it possible to travel to Poland without a visa to visit a relative’s grave? The difficulty also lies in the fact that you can apply for a US visa in Vilnius or Warsaw only if you have a Schengen visa, and the queue for an interview at these points is sometimes scheduled a month in advance. It is also worth keeping in mind that the procedure for submitting documents may take several days, so you will have to stay in a neighboring country, since you will not be released without a passport. Typically the entire process takes from 3 to 5 days. By the way, if it is decided to deny an applicant a visa, then the passport will be returned immediately at the interview. If he was taken, that's a good sign.

To increase your chances of a positive outcome, it will not be superfluous to prepare a package of documents proving your attachment to Belarus. For example, certificates from the place of work, about wages, about the presence of a spouse, children, real estate, car, etc.

The US Embassy is most willing to issue visas to those who already have travel stamps in their passports. For the consulate, this is evidence that you are a reliable traveler, travel abroad and return to your country of permanent residence, spend money abroad, and do not look for opportunities to earn it there.

The US wants to abandon the Green Card visa lottery Read more

Procedure for filing and verification of a petition

An application for a K1 visa is possible only in the territory of a country in the United States, submitted by a citizen of this state. The petition, issued on Form I-129F, is submitted to USCIS. The processing time for a document by the US Immigration and Naturalization Service is 1-4 months.

Next, the application is submitted to the National Visa Center at the US Department of State. After consideration and approval of the application at the NEC, the document can be sent to the American diplomatic mission, which is located in the territory of residence of the bride or groom. This is necessary to obtain a K1 visa.

Processing times and costs

The period for issuing a fiancee visa is 1-4 months. In total, it may take from 9 to 11 months from the start of filing documents. Before filling out the DS-160 application form on the US Department of State website, you must pay a consular fee of $265 by printing confirmation of the receipt of payment.

The petition must state that the bride or groom has children under 14 years of age. If they are, then the cost of the package of submitted documents after paying all state fees in 2021 may be:

immigration form I-485 - $1140 (child - $750);
fingerprinting - $85;
petition for a relative on Form I-130 - $535 (for wife and child);
material guarantee form I-864 - free.

Completing Form I-693 free of charge for the medical examination may require payment of doctor's fees. Please remember that you only need to send copies of documents, not originals. Amounts of paid state fees are non-refundable. Before entering the United States after receiving a K1 visa, you must pay an immigration fee of $220.

Required documents for a fiancee visa

Questionnaire DS-160:

The questionnaire is filled out online on a special website.
Filling out takes place online on a special website.
Information must be entered in English (only full name must be filled in in Cyrillic).
Each visa applicant fills out separately, including children.
Enters the diplomatic mission via the Internet before the interview.

Confirmation page for filling out the form:

There is a barcode on it that is presented to sign up for an interview.
The page should be printed after it has been entered into the data form.
An interview will not be conducted without presentation of the DS-160 confirmation page.

International passport:

2 months are added to the validity period of the immigrant visa.
The original document and a photocopy of the photo page are required.

Color photos:

2 copies.
Only matte.
Full face.
Without any glasses or hats.
Size 50 × 50 mm.

Birth certificate:

Original.
Copies.
If necessary, then translated into a foreign language.

Certificate of no criminal record and no problems with the law in the past:

No later than a year ago at the time of the interview.
The extract is made by the main and regional information centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Information must be provided for all names and surnames of the future wife, if changed, and for all places of residence.
We need the original and a translation into English.

Extracts from court decisions (if the bride was accused of a crime):

They are presented regardless of the court's verdict.
You will need the original, copies and translation into English.

Medical examination results:

Provided in a sealed envelope.
It is recommended that you undergo a medical examination only at a clinic accredited by the United States Embassy.
For the medical examination you need 5 photographs.

Evidence of relationship:

Personal Photos. The more there are, the better.
Correspondence in electronic form.
Printouts confirming the presence of telephone calls. Again, the more the merrier. This will help prove that you are in constant communication.
Letters in paper form, etc.

Consular fee:

Price: $265.
The fee is non-refundable.
You can pay in cash or through a bank, or by credit card.
When signing up for an interview, you will need to provide the fee receipt number.

On your own or with the help of an agency

When applying for a fiancé visa to the USA, you can contact visa centers for help. Traditionally, the following paid services are offered:

consultation on all stages of visa application;
information support in collecting documents for a petition on behalf of the American bride/groom;
collection and assistance in preparing documents for an interview at the American embassy;
registration for an interview and assistance in filling out the application form online;
assistance in paying the visa fee;
explanation of all the nuances for a prompt medical examination;
embassy interview rehearsal;
consultation on the process of marriage in the United States, as well as on changing K-1 status to permanent resident status.

Also, visa center specialists will explain the responsibilities and rights of future spouses, inform about the necessary actions to carry out a divorce, as well as to resolve complex conflict situations with an American husband/wife.

You can complete all the documents yourself. This is quite real. However, being accompanied by a specialist who understands all the intricacies of the process will give you confidence and make you less nervous. Detailed information on obtaining a US visa for Belarusians.

If you need help obtaining a K-1 fiancé/wife/husband/fiancé visa, contact the company’s specialists and they will advise you on all your questions!

What is needed to obtain a US visitor visa for Belarusians?

To apply for a visa you will need:

•passport;
•completed questionnaire DS-160;
•photo 5*5 in electronic format;
•confirmed entry to the embassy.

The most commonly required additional documents are:

1. A copy of the Green Card, passport or valid US visa of the person who sent the invitation;
2. Certificate from your place of work;
3. Copies of visas you have received over the past 5 years.

With the help of visavisa.by specialists, you will not need to collect a large package of documents: our managers will analyze your individual situation and recommend completing the documents that you really need to obtain a visa.

How can a Belarusian get a visa to the USA: advice from the embassy, travel agency and traveler

They say the following about a US visa: “Forget everything you know about getting Schengen visas, everything will be different with an American one,” setting people up for difficulties. Holiday.by decided to understand the intricacies of obtaining an “American stamp” for Belarusians. Moreover, since June, the US Embassy in Minsk began accepting documents for visa renewal and extension. It turned out that getting it was a simple procedure with a lot of “buts”. We found out how the application process differs in Moscow and Vilnius, asked the US consul how to increase the chances of success, and a travel agency employee talked about how to behave at an interview and special requirements for girls.

Obtaining a visa in Moscow, Warsaw and Vilnius: nuances and reasons for success

The consulate in Minsk accepts documents for visas, but only for some of its categories, which 98% of Belarusians do not fall under.

Therefore, citizens of Belarus who wish to obtain a visa for a tourist trip must apply at the embassies of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Warsaw, Krakow and Vilnius. Each of these embassies and consulates has the same requirements for non-residents, that is, for you and me. You only notice the differences when you are preparing documents and choosing a date for an interview. But they issue an American visa for a year at once and with the possibility of multiple visits to the country. For Russians and Ukrainians, this corridor is even wider - for three years at once. The consular fee for Belarusians, as well as for neighbors, is $160.

So, the easiest option is to submit it to the Moscow embassy. The algorithm is as follows:

1. We decide which consulate we will submit documents to 2. We fill out the DS-160 form online and receive its confirmation 3. We pay the consular fee (*in Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine in advance) 4. We create an account in the system of the consulate of our choice 5. We enter personal data and DS-160 number into your account, enter the details of the receipt for payment of the consular fee (*in Poland we receive a link to payment after entering the data in your online account) 6. Go to the calendar of available dates for the interview and make a choice (*you can reschedule the date maximum 3 times) 7. At the appointed time we go to the consulate to submit an application

— Embassies of different countries have different workloads. For Belarusians who are non-residents, there is their own turn. This must be taken into account when planning,” tourism director Konstantin Burkut . “In Moscow, you can almost always make an appointment within two to three weeks. In Warsaw, places are booked for a month, but you can find free time locally. In Vilnius there are now only places left for the second half and end of August.

You can pay the fee for the Moscow embassy in cash through VTB24 or Sberbank or online. The last method is very convenient and simple if you have made purchases with a card online at least once. Save the receipt from the bank or the payment page on the Internet - when you sign up for an interview, you will need its number.

If it is decided to deny you a visa, your passport will be returned immediately at the interview. If he was taken, that's a good sign. The Moscow embassy will return the documents to the specified address in the Russian Federation or to the Pony Express office (Marshal Zhukova, 4, Moscow) within 3-5 days.

If you have a Schengen visa, then you can apply for an American visa through Vilnius and Warsaw. The package of documents that you will submit at the embassies of these cities is standard. The only addition is that documents confirming your “link” to Belarus (certificate of employment or marriage certificate) must be translated into English. There is no need to certify the translation anywhere; you simply submit it to the window along with the original in Russian.

Another difference is the payment of the consular fee. If you decide to apply for a visa in Vilnius, you will have to pay through a Swedbank branch:

— There is no other form of payment. To do this, you need to print out the form previously downloaded from the Vilnius embassy website in a PDF file. Moreover, this form has a shelf life of two days. During this time, you or anyone else must pay for the form. There is no need to provide any personal information.

Konstantin also reminded that payment is made in local currency. Taking into account the fact that Lithuania has switched to the euro, the consular fee is €152.

— In Vilnius and Warsaw, if everything is in order based on the results of the interview, then your passport will be taken away. It can be picked up the next business day, but at a different address. You need to take into account that you will pick up your document in another place - at a delivery service accredited at the embassy,” explained Konstantin.

Documents - the more money, real estate and relatives in Belarus, the better. They begin preparing for a visa by collecting documents. The package is small: passport, photo, completed DS-160 form, confirmation page for making an appointment and a receipt for payment of the consular fee.

To increase your chances of a positive outcome of the enterprise, we advise you to prepare a package of documents proving your attachment to your homeland. Holiday.by contacted the US Embassy for clarification. We asked Frederick Stern , Consul of the United States Embassy in Minsk, to explain what documents a Belarusian must provide to the consul to increase his chances of obtaining a visa.

— Each visa applicant must demonstrate that he has no intention of immigrating to the United States. The visa applicant can demonstrate this by demonstrating that he has connections outside the United States that would cause him to leave the United States at the end of his temporary stay.

We do not require any documentation to demonstrate such connections. If you wish, please select only those that you consider important and be prepared to explain why you believe these documents demonstrate your ties to the Republic of Belarus.

— As far as I know, the air ticket that the applicant submits to the consul can be considered as pressure on the consular officer, and it is better not to show these papers. How true is this information?

— There is no such requirement (to buy a ticket or reserve a hotel) in order to apply for a visa. We strongly recommend that you do not buy tickets until you have your passport with a visa in your hands.

More specifically, the documents that can play into your hands during an interview are: a certificate of employment, a certificate of salary, an account statement, a certificate of real estate that you own, a copy of a marriage certificate, a certificate of the presence of children and certificate of vehicle availability.

In the questionnaire, it is better to tell only the truth and nothing else.

So, if all the documents are in hand, you can proceed to the most important task - you will need to fill out a visa application. The process is labor-intensive and requires care. The form must be filled out in English.

While scrupulously answering an unconscionably large number of questions, keep just one recommendation in mind - write the truth. You should not try to deceive the consulate in the application form.

It’s also better not to lie during an interview at the embassy.

The director of Homo Touristus holds meetings with agency clients before interviews at the embassy and advises them to tell the consuls the truth. Because all the information you provide in the DS form is analyzed in advance by employees and carefully checked:

— We advise our clients to be extremely honest and not to keep other information in their heads. You should not try to hide anything or present the facts under a different sauce. Because consuls are, first of all, good psychologists, they read human facial expressions. This is true. The questions are posed briefly. You need to answer them just as briefly and clearly.

— Is it true that girls are asked different questions?

— Girls are first of all asked about their marital status. Not having a spouse is definitely a negative factor. This is probably the only one of the entire range of judgments regarding the US Embassy that is truthful. One immediately gets the impression that a person can migrate. At the same time, the presence of children in Belarus plays a lesser role than the presence of a husband from the practice of our clients.

— What questions should you prepare for?

— What do you do, who and how long have you worked for, how much do you earn and where are you going. The more accurately a person represents the purpose of his trip, the better. Tourism is the most nebulous of goals. It is important here that the applicant clearly understands his travel route. They may start asking you about what you plan to see in the USA and where to go. It is possible and necessary to expand on this topic.

Obtaining a visa in Belarus. You can now renew or extend your visa to America in Minsk

On June 1, the US Embassy in Minsk began accepting documents for renewal and extension of American visas. Now Belarusians who already had visas that expired less than 3 years and 10 months ago (on the date of submitting documents to the embassy) can obtain a new one directly in the capital.

The following categories of visas fall under this rule: • for tourism/business/visiting friends and relatives (B1/B2), • for ship crew members C1/D, • student (F and M), • for exchange visitors (category J except visas under the Summer Work and Travel program), • work visas (categories H, L, O, P, Q, R).

The package of documents is standard. Today this is a passport, a confirmation page for filling out the DS-160 form, a confirmation page for making an appointment (the electronic appointment system will display this page on the computer screen after you select an appointment time) and $160 in cash.

For those applying for work visa categories H, L, O, P, Q, R, which are issued on the basis of an approved petition in the United States, the visa application fee is $190. The consular fee is paid directly at the time of submission of documents and only in cash. There is no need to go anywhere or pay remotely.

Belarusians reacted positively to the new embassy option. On the first day of the renewal procedure, about 50 people applied to the consular section of the US Embassy.

— For the renewal and extension of visas, we plan to accept 120 visa applications for visa renewal per week, plus we reserve 45 places for applications that require personal presence and an interview. We will continue to evaluate the services we provide and, if necessary, will open more appointment slots,” the US Embassy in Minsk explained to Holiday.by.

The Minsk Consulate accepts documents for visa renewal on Mondays and Fridays. The visa processing time depends on the day of application.

“For example, if we received documents and payment on Monday, then your passport will be ready on Friday of the same week, and if you applied on Friday, then your passport will be ready on Friday next week,” the embassy’s website says.

The most pleasant news for Belarusians wishing to extend their visa in Minsk is that personal presence at the time of submitting documents is not necessary. A friend, relative, acquaintance or representative of a travel agency can bring them for you.

However, the embassy added: “Everyone applying for a visa renewal must make an appointment separately, and the number of passport applications received by our department must match the number booked for renewal through our electronic registration system.”

A visa is not a guarantee that you will enter the United States. The last stage is an interview at the border

Photo: tebenko.com

The issuance of a visa at the US Embassy does not at all mean that the tourist will enter the United States. The only person who decides about your presence in the country is the customs officer at the airport.

He will conduct another interview, as at the embassy, only according to a simplified procedure. And based on the answers received and your behavior, he will decide the further plan of your trip. Officials from the Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection have the authority to grant or deny entry into the United States and set the length of stay in the country.

We asked about the interview with Belarusian and showman Pavel Vorotilin , who flew to the USA twice.

— Interviews are different. They depend entirely on the officer and his mood. Both times I interviewed everything went well. However, some of my friends were sent back to their homeland.

— What questions were asked?

— You are asked a question about the purpose of the visit. And, based on it, they try to understand whether you have enough means to survive, whether you are going to become a migrant. If there is something about you, appearance or behavior that makes the officer suspicious, he may take you to a special room for further questioning. This doesn't mean everything is bad. They just doubted it.

***

The US Embassy is most willing to issue visas to those who have travel stamps in their passports: visas and stamps. And the more there are, the better. For the consulate, this is evidence that you are a reliable traveler, you travel abroad and return to your country of permanent residence, you spend money abroad, and do not look for opportunities to earn it there. While a clean passport can be a reason for refusal, since traveling to the USA requires not only financial guarantees, but also travel planning and travel experience.

Visas to the USA on Holiday.by. Travel agency offers

Also on topic:

In Minsk it is now possible to extend old American visas that are no more than four years old