Fiancée or Fiancé Visa Overview

K Class Nonimmigrant Visa for the Fiancée/Fiancé or Spouse of U.S. Citizens

The K visa is a nonimmigrant visa applied for by U.S. citizens on behalf of a fiancée or fiancé for the purpose of entering the United States in order to marry, or on behalf of a spouse living outside the United States. Minor children and/or dependants of these individuals may also apply for derivative K visas.

If you're searching for information about the application process for a K-class visa, or answers to common questions about temporary nonimmigrant visas, you'll find much of that information on this page. 

What You’ll Find on This Page:

  • Who Qualifies for a K Fiancée/Fiancé Visa?
  • K visa application process
    • Visa application and forms
    • Visa application fees
    • "Dual Intent" Application for K Visa
    • Entering the United States
  • Can I Bring Family Members into the Country with a K Visa?
  • Can I Receive a Time Extension to Stay Longer on a K Visa?

Who Qualifies for a K Visa?

K visas are granted to individuals either in order to enter the United States to marry a U.S. citizen, or to reunite spouses to U.S. citizens married abroad. Generally speaking, the U.S. citizen and his or her fiancée/fiancé must have met within the last two years (unless there is another reason why that circumstance may have occurred due to cultural custom, for example) and must be allowed to be legally wedded in the United States.

Spouses applying under the K-3 visa must be legally married (not cohabiting, though common-law spouses may be eligible), and may not be married to more than one person. In such a case, only the first spouse is eligible for entry under the K-3 visa classification. The K-3 classification is granted simultaneously with application for immigrant status, per the immigration concept of "dual intent" (see below).

K Visa Application process

Visa Application and Forms

Both K visa applications—for fiancé/fiancée and spouse—begin with a petition made to USCIS for approval, though the forms used are different according to the status of the individual.

The U.S. citizen seeking a K-1 visa for a fiancée or fiancé must file “Petition for Alien Fiancé(e),” Form I-129F. This document must be filed at a USCIS office where the U.S. citizen resides, and may not be filed at a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad. If USCIS approves the petition, it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center, where it will then be sent to the embassy or consulate abroad where the fiancée or fiancé will apply for the K visa.

The citizen seeking a K-3 visa for a spouse must file “Petition for Alien Relative,” Form I-130, in addition to “Petition for Alien Fiancé(e),” Form I-129F. The spouse must file for a K-3 visa in the country where the marriage took place.

Any minor, unmarried children accompanying the primary visa holder must apply for derivative visas, K-2 for children of a K-1 fiancée or fiancé visa and K-4 for children of a K-3 spouse visa, at the embassy with the primary holder.

Once approved by USCIS, the applicant may submit the standard visa application forms, Form DS-156. Some individuals, including all male applicants between 16-45 and those coming from North Korea, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, and Iran (and other so-called “terrorist states”), will be required to complete a "Supplemental Nonimmigrant Visa Application," Form DS-157.

Additionally, the fiancée/fiancé and spouse must submit Form DS-156K, "Nonimmigrant Fiancé(e) Visa Application."

The fiancé/fiancée or spouse must possess a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of your stay and submit two standard 2x2 photographs, as well as complete a medical examination and provide marriage and birth documents.

“Dual Intent” Application for K Visa

Unlike other nonimmigrant visas, the K visa allows you to move to the United States with the intention of immigrating through applying for permanent resident status simultaneously. This also means that there is no requirement to prove that you maintain a residence and job in your native country. Most nonimmigrant visas do not allow this provision.

The K visa is treated as a temporary way to enter the United States legally while the longer process of applying for permanent resident status is completed.

Visa Application Fees

The Petition for Alien Relative requires a processing fee of $355. The applicant must also pay fees for the medical examination (varies), as well as fingerprinting ($85). The visa application fee of $131 still applies, as well as a visa issuance fee of an additional $131.

Entering the United States

At the port of entry, the DHS Customs and Border Protection officials will meet with you to permit or deny entry into the United States. The length of your visit will be determined on the "Arrival-Departure Record," Form I-94.

Can I Bring Family Members into the Country with a K Visa?

Yes. Your unmarried, minor children with your fiancee/fiance or spouse may be classified with nonimmigrant status to accompany or join you, under the K-2 and K-4 status classifications. (K-2 status applies to dependents of those with a K-1 visa; K-4 status applies to those with K-3 status). Dependents may be listed on your K-1 or K-3 visa application and given their visas when the main visa is issued.

Recipients of a derivative K visa may accept employment in the United States by submitting Form I-765, "Application for Employment Authorization," often simply called a "work permit."

Can I Receive a Time Extension to Stay Longer on a K Visa?

The period of validity for the fiancée/fiancé or spouse "Peition for Alien Relative" is four months, but it may be extended through a consular officer at the local U.S. consulate abroad if the period expires before your visa has processed.

The applicant for a K-1 fiancée/fiancé visa has 90 days in which to become legally married, after which he or she may file for a change of status as a spouse.

Speak to an Immigration Representative for More about the K Fiancée/Fiancé Visa or Spouse Visa

Reuniting a family or bringing a fiancée/fiancé to the United States is a serious and important step, and the last thing you want to do is to leave it to chance.

To speak with an immigration team member, simply fill out our Immigration Assessment Form.