Close family relationships frequently provide the basis for immigration. People who have visas or green cards can help their loved ones enter the country lawfully. Immigrants who become naturalized citizens have even broader opportunities to assist their loved ones.
Spouses and children are often top priorities in family-based immigration scenarios. Sometimes, people have a romantic partner living abroad who is not yet their spouse. They may be engaged to marry one another. A K-1 fiancé visa allows a foreign national to enter the United States for the purposes of marriage.
Who might potentially qualify for a K-1 visa?
Only fiancés of citizens are eligible
Immigrants with visas or green cards may have a long-term romantic partner waiting for them back home. Unfortunately, without marriage, they usually cannot sponsor that person to travel with them or enter the country to reunite with them.
Fiancés hoping to enter the United States to marry someone living here are only eligible for a K-1 visa if their fiancé is a citizen. Both natural-born and naturalized citizens can petition for a K-1 visa for their intended spouse.
The fiancé hoping to enter the country must meet all medical standards imposed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). They also need to pass a background check. They must also marry quickly, as the K-1 visa is usually only valid for 90 days.
Retaining the support of an immigration attorney can help a citizen navigate the process of applying for a K-1 visa. Those hoping to marry a foreign national can potentially do so domestically if they follow the right procedures.