Fiancee Visa
For American citizens whose fiancee is not a citizen of the United States, working around immigration laws to bring their fiancee to the country can be complicated. Living with a fiancee, while prohibited by certain cultures and religions, can be very beneficial to the success of a marriage. Bringing your foreign fiancee to the United States requires him or her to obtain a fiancee visa. Fiancee visas are visas given to fiancees of a U.S. citizen to allow a fiancee to travel to the United States and marry you and live in the U.S.
Fiancee visas are only granted to individuals that fit the definition of a fiancee. A fiancee is defined as a person who is engaged or contracted to be married. The marriage must be legal in the United States, depending on the laws of the state the marriage is to be conducted. While most of the time, the two individuals to be married must have known each other for two years, exceptions may be made. For example, some cultures traditionally have arranged marriages. In these cases, the fiancee may not have even met the other individual, even up until the date of their marriage.
Fiancee visas require the filing of the Petition for Alien Fiancee, or the Form I-129F. The forms is filed with the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office. Once the petition is approved by the USCIS, it is sent to the National Visa Center for review and processing. Once it is processed, it is sent to the embassy or consulate where the fiancee is located, after which the fiancee can apply for a K-1 non immigrant fiancee visa. This process is often complicated by immigration law, as the fiancee is also considered an immigrant. As such, the fiancee must meet some of the requirements of an immigrant obtaining a visa.
The process of obtaining a fiancee visa is conducted as the consular section at the embassy of consulate where your fiancee lives. There, he or she will learn what is required to apply for a fiancee visa, as well as directions for medical examination and fingerprint scanning. Additionally, an interview may be required. The follow things are required before fiancee visas are approved:
* A valid passport for travel to the United States with a validity date at least 6 months beyond the intended period of stay
* Birth Certificate
* Divorce or death certificate of any previous spouses
* Police Certificate
* Medical Examination
* Form I-134, and evidence of financial capabilities
* Form DS-156, a non immigrant visa application (two copies)
* Form DS-156k, a non immigrant fiancee visa application
* Two photos for the visa
* Payment of Fees
Once all of these necessary documents are given, the fiancee visa can be issued. The K-1 visa only allows a fiancee to enter the United States once. Additionally, to work, the fiancee will be required to file Form I-765 Application for Employment Authorization with the USCIS office. However, fiancee visas provide a way for foreign citizens to enter the United States. Despite the many logistics and forms required, fiancee visas prove to be very useful in certain situations.