🇺🇸 K1 Visa Lawyers - All 50 States
Bring Your Fiancé(e)
Home to the U.S.
Experienced immigration attorneys guiding you through the K-1 visa process — from first filing to walking down the aisle.
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What is the K-1 Visa?
A Visa Reserved for Your Future Spouse
The K-1 fiancé(e) visa is a single-entry visa issued by USCIS that allows your foreign fiancé(e) to enter the United States. Once they arrive, you have 90 days to get married. After the wedding, you can apply for a green card (adjustment of status) without leaving the country.
Unlike a spousal visa — which requires you to already be married — the K-1 allows couples to hold their wedding on U.S. soil and typically gets your partner here several months faster than the spousal visa route.
K-2 Visas for Children: Unmarried children under 21 of the K-1 holder may receive K-2 visas, allowing them to travel with your fiancé(e) to the U.S.
Requirements
Do You Qualify for a K-1 Visa?
You and your fiancé(e) must meet all four of these eligibility criteria before filing your petition.
Both Partners Must Be Single
You and your fiancé(e) must both be legally free to marry — meaning all prior marriages must have been legally dissolved.
U.S. Citizen Sponsorship
The sponsoring partner must be a U.S. citizen. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are not eligible to file a K-1 petition.
Met in Person Within Two Years
You must have physically met your fiancé(e) at least once in the past two years. This can be waived for religious or extreme hardship reasons.
Income Requirements
The U.S. citizen must earn at least 100% of federal poverty guidelines for the K-1 petition, and 125% when your fiancé(e) later applies for a green card.
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The K-1 Process
How It Works - Step by Step
File the Petition
We file Form I-129F with USCIS on your behalf, including all required supporting documents.
USCIS Approval
USCIS reviews and approves your petition, then forwards it to the National Visa Center and your fiancé(e)’s U.S. consulate.
Consulate Interview
Your fiancé(e) attends a visa interview at the U.S. consulate in their home country. We prepare them every step of the way.
Arrive & Marry
Your fiancé(e) enters the U.S. on the K-1 visa. You have 90 days to get married and can then file for a green card.
Important: Don't Overstay the 90-Day Window
Once your fiancé(e) enters the U.S., you must marry within 90 days. Overstaying can result in significant bars to reentry and complications with future U.S. immigration benefits. If marriage is not possible within that window, your fiancé(e) must leave before the visa expires.
K-1 vs. Spousal Visa
Which Visa Is Right for You?
Both pathways lead to the same destination, but the K-1 has clear advantages depending on your situation.
Factors
- Marital Status Required
- Typical Processing Time
- Wedding Location
- Work Authorization
- Children Included
- Green Card
K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa
- Not married yet ✓
- Several months (faster)
- U.S. ceremony possible ✓
- After marriage & EAD
- K-2 visas for minors ✓
- Apply after U.S. wedding
CR-1 Spousal Visa
- Already married
- Often 1+ year
- Must wed abroad first
- Included with green card
- IR-2/CR-2 visas
- Issued upon arrival
Why Pelican Johnson
Everything You Need in One Place
We handle the paperwork, deadlines, and complications so you can focus on what matters — each other. Immigration Representation Across All 50 States and More Than 101 Countries.
We File all Forms
Every government form, correctly completed and submitted on your behalf. No guesswork on your end.
True Flat Fee
Know your total cost upfront. No hidden charges, hourly billing surprises, or add-on fees mid-case.
Income Evaluation
We provide a comprehensive assessment of your income requirements to prevent delays before they happen.
Online Client Portal
Track your case, upload documents, and communicate with your attorney — 24/7 from anywhere in the world.
Flexible Payment Plans
We offer payment plans so cost is never a barrier to protecting your relationship and your future.
Green Card Ready
K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa
Frequently Asked Question
Below are answers to the most frequently asked questions about the K-1 fiancé(e) visa process. If you’re considering hiring our firm and don’t see your question below, please contact us to discuss how we may be able to help.
A K-1 fiancé(e) visa allows a U.S. citizen to bring their foreign fiancé(e) to the United States so the couple can get married and begin their life together in the U.S.
The basic requirements include:
U.S. Citizenship: The petitioner must be a U.S. citizen. Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) cannot file a K-1 petition.
Intent to Marry: Both parties must be legally free to marry and must intend to marry each other within 90 days of the foreign fiancé(e)'s entry into the United States.
In-Person Meeting: Generally, the couple must have met in person at least once during the two years immediately before filing the K-1 petition, unless they qualify for a limited exception to this requirement.
The K-1 fiancé(e) visa process begins when the U.S. citizen files a petition with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
After USCIS approves the petition, the case is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) and then forwarded to the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The foreign fiancé(e) completes the required visa application process, undergoes a medical examination, and attends a visa interview.
If the K-1 visa is approved and issued, the foreign fiancé(e) can travel to the United States. The couple must then marry within 90 days of the foreign fiancé(e)'s entry.
Only a U.S. citizen may petition for a foreign fiancé(e) through the K-1 visa process.
A lawful permanent resident (green card holder) cannot file a K-1 fiancé(e) visa petition. However, depending on the circumstances, other immigration options may be available.
K-1 fiancé(e) visa processing times vary. The total processing time depends on several factors, including current USCIS processing times, the National Visa Center, the U.S. Embassy or Consulate handling the case, interview availability, and whether additional evidence or administrative processing is required.
Because processing times change frequently, no attorney or law firm can guarantee exactly how long a K-1 visa case will take.
You must marry each other within 90 days of the foreign fiancé(e)'s entry into the United States on the K-1 visa.
After the marriage, the K-1 visa holder may apply for adjustment of status to become a lawful permanent resident.
If the couple does not marry within the required 90-day period, serious immigration consequences may result.
A K-1 visa is issued with a limited validity period, often up to approximately six months, although the actual expiration date can depend on the validity of the required medical examination and other circumstances.
The K-1 visa is valid for a single entry into the United States. The fiancé(e) must enter the United States before the expiration date printed on the visa.
Serving Couples Worldwide
K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa Experience Around the World
North America
Canada
Middle East
United Arab Emirates | Saudi Arabia | Jordan | Lebanon | Qatar | Kuwait | Bahrain | Oman | Iraq | Iran
Africa
Nigeria | Kenya | Ghana | South Africa | Egypt | Morocco | Tanzania | Uganda | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Liberia | Gambia | Rwanda | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Burundi | Sudan | Algeria | Tunisia | Côte d’Ivoire | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Botswana | Mozambique
Latin America & the Caribbean
Mexico | Dominican Republic | Colombia | Brazil | Costa Rica | Panama | Cuba | Jamaica | Peru | Guatemala | Honduras | Ecuador | Argentina | Chile | Venezuela | Bolivia | Paraguay | Uruguay | Belize | El Salvador | Nicaragua | Guyana | Barbados | Bahamas | Haiti | Grenada | Dominica
Asia & Pacific
Philippines | Vietnam | Thailand | Cambodia | China | Hong Kong \ Indonesia | India | Australia | | South Korea | Malaysia | Singapore | Taiwan | Bangladesh | Pakistan
Asia & Pacific
Philippines | Vietnam | Thailand | Cambodia | China | Hong Kong \ Indonesia | India | Australia | | South Korea | Malaysia | Singapore | Taiwan | Bangladesh | Pakistan
Europe
United Kingdom | Germany | France | Spain | Ukraine | Russia | Turkey | Italy | Portugal | Netherlands | Belgium | Switzerland | Austria | Poland | Romania | Greece | Czech Republic | Hungary | Croatia | Serbia | Albania | Latvia | Estonia | Slovakia | Slovenia
Latin America & the Caribbean
Mexico | Dominican Republic | Colombia | Brazil | Costa Rica | Panama | Cuba | Jamaica | Peru | Guatemala | Honduras | Ecuador | Argentina | Chile | Venezuela | Bolivia | Paraguay | Uruguay | Belize | El Salvador | Nicaragua | Guyana | Barbados | Bahamas | Haiti | Grenada | Dominica
Africa
Nigeria | Kenya | Ghana | South Africa | Egypt | Morocco | Tanzania | Uganda | Senegal | Sierra Leone | Liberia | Gambia | Rwanda | Zambia | Zimbabwe | Burundi | Sudan | Algeria | Tunisia | Côte d’Ivoire | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Botswana | Mozambique
Middle East
United Arab Emirates | Saudi Arabia | Jordan | Lebanon | Qatar | Kuwait | Bahrain | Oman | Iraq | Iran
North America
Canada
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