What Is The K-1 Visa? Definition, Elements And Examples (2025)

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A K-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa available to a foreign citizen engaged to a United States citizen. With a K-1 visa, a foreign national can come to the United States and have a 90-day period of time to get married to the U.S. citizen who is sponsoring them.

As United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) explains, a K-1 visa is also known as a fiance(e) visa. A fiance(e) visa allows for temporary entry to the U.S. for the purpose of getting married.

A foreign national who is admitted to the U.S. must marry the citizen sponsor within 90 days of coming to this country. After the marriage takes place, the foreign national can apply for lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. and, if they meet citizenship requirements, can potentially move toward becoming a citizen.

There are many benefits of the K-1 visa. Here are some of the biggest perks of obtaining one:

• A foreign national can get permission to come and get married in the United States.
• Eligible children are allowed to come with a foreign national on a K-2 visa.
• The visa provides a generous 90-day window of time to get married.
• After a K-1 visa enables a marriage to take place, the foreign national can go through the process of securing a green card.

There are specific eligibility requirements for securing a K-1 visa.

The Foreign National Must Be the Fiance(e) of a U.S. Citizen

K-1 visas are available when U.S. citizens want to bring their fiance(e) to the U.S. for the purpose of getting married. Under U.S. immigration law, the U.S. citizen must complete Petition for Alien Fiance(e), Form I-129F, and this must be approved.

The Couple Must Intend To Get Married Within 90 days of Entry

A K-1 visa allows for only a limited amount of time to get married. The couple must have a plan to tie the knot within 90 days of the time that the foreign national is admitted to the country.

Both Parties Must Be Legally Free To Marry

Both the U.S. citizen and the foreign national must be legally free to get married to each other. This means both have a legal right to get married in the U.S., and neither has a prior marriage that wasn’t already terminated by death, divorce or annulment.

The Couple Must Have Met in Person Within the Previous Two Years or Must Be Eligible for a Waiver

In general, the citizen and their fiance(e) must have met in person at least one time in the two years prior to filing a petition. It’s possible to request a waiver of this requirement in one of two situations:

• There are long-established customs in the fiance(e)’s foreign culture or social practices that prevent spouses from meeting prior to marriage.
• The U.S. citizen sponsor would experience extreme hardship as a result of the requirement to meet in person.

Documents required for the K-1 visa include the following:

• A completed Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. The foreign national and any eligible children must have a printed copy of their DS-160 confirmation page when they attend an immigration interview.
• A valid U.S. passport. The foreign national must have a passport that is valid for travel to the U.S. and that doesn’t expire until at least six months beyond the time the national intends to stay in the United States.
• A birth certificate. The foreign national will need to provide a birth certificate.
• Divorce or death certificates. These must be provided for any prior spouses for both parties.
• Police certificates. The foreign national must provide police certificates from their current country of residence and all countries where they have lived for at least six months starting at age 16. If children over 16 are coming to the U.S. on a K-2 visa, police certificates are required for them as well.
• A medical examination report. This is required for the foreign national.
• Evidence of financial support. This can include Form I-134, Affidavit of Support.
• Evidence of a relationship. There must be documented proof of some relationship between the U.S. citizen and the foreign national fiance(e).

The foreign national must visit a consular office for an interview. The officer may request additional information, such as photographs demonstrating that there is a real relationship between the two people getting married. The documents, such as the birth and death certificates, must also be clear and legible and must be translated into English if necessary.

Here are the steps required to allow a foreign national fiance(e) to come to the U.S. on a K-1 visa.

File a Petition for Alien Fiance(e)

A U.S. citizen must take the first step, filing a Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance(e). This form requests that USCIS formally recognize the relationship between the citizen sponsor and the foreign national.

USCIS may request additional evidence of the relationship’s validity to ensure the couple is not entering into a fraudulent marriage. Once the agency is satisfied that the couple is in a real relationship, it will approve Form I-129F and send the approval to the National Visa Center (NVC).

Complete a Visa Application

The NVC will forward the approved Form I-129F to the U.S. embassy or consulate in the foreign national’s home country. This opens the door to the foreign fiance(e) submitting a request for a K-1 nonimmigrant visa.

The embassy or consulate will schedule a visa interview for the fiance(e) and provide notification about when it is scheduled. The foreign national must attend the interview and the consular or embassy official will decide whether to issue the visa. If they issue the visa, it gives the fiance(e) six months to come to the United States and allows for one entry into the country.

The key factor in whether the official issues the K-1 visa is whether they believe the relationship is valid.

Once the visa has been approved, the foreign national can come to a port of entry to request admission and will undergo inspection. If admitted, the couple has 90 days to get married. Once the marriage is complete, the foreign national spouse must file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status to apply for a green card.

When you obtain a K-1 visa, you must pay the following fees:

• a filing fee when you submit Form I-129F, which is $675
• a processing fee for DS-160 which is $265
• a medical exam fee, which varies
• a filing fee for Form I-485 to register permanent resident status or to adjust status, which is typically $1,440