Frequency Asked Questions
|
|
Below are a number of frequently asked K1 Visa and K3 Visa questions by our clients and prospective clients. If you have a question or concern that is not addressed below, feel free to contact us and we will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Once approved, how long is the I-129F Petition valid for and what happens if it expires before the fiancée's K1 Visa interview?
|
|
A. Approved I-129F Petitions are valid for four months. Once they expire, they may be revalidated by a Consular Officer at the embassy of record prior to the K1 Visa interview.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Once the K1 Visa is issued, how long does the fiancée have to enter the United States?
|
|
A. A K1 Visa is valid for a period of six months and, generally, may only be used for one entry into the United States.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. What is the process for extending a visa beyond the original four month validity?
|
|
A. The process is very simple. A consular officer can revalidate a K visa petition any number of times for additional periods of 4 months provided the officer concludes that the petitioner and beneficiary remain legally free to marry and continue to intend to marry each other within 90 days after the beneficiary’s admission into the United States. To have the petition revalidated send a written request to the Embassy that includes a statement of your intention to go forward with the marriage.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Can the Fiancée's children come to the United States prior to the marriage?
|
|
A. Yes. The children are eligible for K2 Visas which would allow them to accompany the fiance or follow the fiance within 6 months of visa issuance. If the children do not apply for a K2 Visa, they may also be eligible for a K2 Visa after the fiance is married as long as the children apply within 1 year of the Fiancée's K1 Visa issuance.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Can the Fiancée's children come to the United States prior to the marriage?
|
|
A. USCIS holds that all children of a K-1 beneficiary must be listed on the visa petition. If the beneficiary has a child not named in the petition, the consular officer must suspend action and return the petition to USCIS for reconsideration.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. What if my fiance is pregnant and this is not disclosed on the approved petition?
|
|
A. Visa processing can continue in this case if the consular officer obtains a statement indicating awareness of the pregnancy and the desire to proceed with the marriage.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. If I decide not to get married to my fiance can I cancel the petition?
|
|
A. You should make a written request to the Embassy asking to withdraw the petition. You may wish to notarize such a statement so we can be assured that you personally are asking the petition to be withdrawn.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Can U.S. Citizens apply for more than one K1 Visa Petition?
|
|
A. U.S. Citizen may not petition for more than one K1 Visa at a time. However, if the marriage from a prior K1 Visa does not take place and the fiance leaves the U.S., the U.S. Citizen may petition for the same fiance or another one in the future.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. If my fiance entered the U.S. on a K visa, but had to leave before we were married, what can I do get my fiance a new K visa?
|
|
A. K visas are issued valid for a single entry and a 6-month period. If a beneficiary has returned abroad prior to the marriage, the consular officer may issue a new K visa provided that the period of validity does not exceed the 90th day after the date of initial admission of the alien on the original K visa and provided also that the petitioner and beneficiary still intend and are free to marry. After the 90th day, unless other arrangements have been made with USCIS prior to your fiance’s departure, you will need to start the K visa process again.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. I would like to know about how much money I need in order to invite my fiancé to the US.
|
|
A. You must meet either 125% of the poverty guidelines, or meet the asset requirement
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Is the K1 Visa issued immediately following the embassy interview?.
|
|
A. Each embassy has its own unique procedures. Some issue the K1 Visa the same day and others process it within a few weeks and have it mailed by courier.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. After my fiancé and I marry, what do I have to do to take her out of the country on our honeymoon? How long after we are married can we leave and return to the US?
|
|
A. After you get married, you have to apply for her Green Card (aka Permanent Residence, Adjustment of Status). At this time, you must apply for her Advance Parole (USCIS Forms I-131). It takes approx 90 days to receive the Advance Parole Re-Entry Permit after filing. Your fiancé must have this before she leaves the US for foreign travel and must present it to re-enter the US. If your fiancé leaves the US without the Advance Parole Re-Entry Permit, she may be denied entry and the Green Card petition may be cancelled.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
|
Q. Can a Permanent Resident file a petition for a K1 Visa?
|
|
A. No. Unfortunately, this benefit is only available to U.S. Citizens and you must be a U.S. Citizen to be eligible to file for a K1 Visa Petition.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
