The 90 day K-1 Fianc(é)e visa – How it works
Do you remember watching all of those movies about two people who fall in love, but they’re from different nations or kingdoms or what-have-you, and in the end everyone gets a happy ending and one goes to live with the other and they get married? I do too – and I’m here to tell you that while love can conquer all, sometimes it needs a little help with the immigration legislation (seriously, it’s crazy complicated). But don’t worry, because it doesn’t have to be a battle. Our full-service immigration law firm is dedicated to making sure true love wins (ok, we’re dedicated to our clients, but that’s kind of the same thing if you think about it). Many of ourattorneys specialize in the K-1 visa, which allows US Citizens to bring their foreign national fiancé(e)s to the United States so that they can be married. We like to think of ourselves as the fairy godmother of a true love story. Ok, maybe that’s a stretch, but we do help a lot.
So what can you do? You’re in love, you’re going to get married, but you’re separated by borders and nations. The K-1 visa allows a foreign national fiancé(e) to enter the US for 90 days so that he/she and the US Citizen can be married. It’s actually a pretty straightforward visa classification, and millions have used it and millions more will use it in the future. The US Citizen is the petitioner in this situation – and he/she must demonstrate that:
- He/she is a US citizen
- He/she and the fiancé(e) intend to marry within the 90 days the visa allows
- Both he/she and his/her fiancé(e) are legally free to marry and any previous marriages of either party have been fully and legally terminated
- Both he/she and his/her fiancé(e) have met in person at least once within the two years that follow the date the petition is filed. There are a few exceptions to this rule that any of our immigration attorneys can inform you about – contact us to find out!
Ok, so what would happen, hypothetically, if you came to our office, had a great time forging your future, filed the petition after a little while, and then granted the petition as a result of spectacular work by our firm of immigration attorneys? Well then your fiancé(e) would enter the United States and the two of you would marry within that 90 days.
What if you don’t marry?
Life is unpredictable – sometimes things happen outside your control. Unfortunately, the K-1’s period of stay cannot be extended, so if the two of you do not marry then your fiancé(e) must leave the country and reapply for entry in order to ensure no negative impact is made on his/her eligibility for visas in the future.
All right, I think it’s about time you contacted our immigration attorneys and let us get to work, don’t you?