The K-1 Visa, Explained
Understand the income requirements, cost, timeline, and process for the K1 Fiancé visa in 2025
What is a K-1 Visa?
The K-1 fiancé(e) visa allows the foreign fiancé of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States with the purpose of getting married within 90 days of arrival. While it’s technically a nonimmigrant visa (allowing temporary stay), it creates a pathway to permanent residency through marriage.
Key Facts about the K1 Visa:
- Once married, the foreign spouse can apply for a green card (permanent residency) through the adjustment of status process.
- In 2025, about one in four K-1 visa applications is denied
- The visa is specifically for fiancés of U.S. citizens (not green card holders)
- Same-sex partners are eligible regardless of laws in the foreign fiancé’s home country
IMPORTANT UPDATE (April 2025): USCIS has released a new version of Form I-129F (used for K-1 fiancé visas), with the new edition becoming mandatory starting May 1, 2025. This update comes with stricter formatting and filing requirements, likely tied to their broader move toward digital processing and reduced error rates.
K-1 Visa Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a K-1 visa:
- The sponsor must be a U.S. citizen (green card holders cannot sponsor K-1 visas)
- Both parties must be legally free to marry (any previous marriages must be legally terminated)
- Couples must have met in person within 2 years before filing the petition
- This “2-year rule” requires at least one face-to-face meeting
- Waivers may be available for extreme hardship or strict cultural/religious reasons
- The sponsor must meet income requirements (100% of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
- Both must intend to marry within 90 days of the foreign fiancé’s arrival in the U.S.
Not sure if the K-1 visa is right for your situation? Take our 5-minute visa assessment quiz →
Who Is NOT Eligible
You may be ineligible if:
- You’re already married (you’d need a spouse visa instead, like CR-1 or IR-1)
- You don’t meet minimum income requirements
- You have certain criminal convictions
- You’ve previously violated U.S. immigration laws
- You cannot prove a genuine relationship
- You have a communicable disease posing a public health risk
- You fail the in-person visa interview
Income Requirements
To sponsor a K-1 visa in 2025:
- Your income must meet or exceed 100% of Federal Poverty Guidelines
- For a household of two (you and your fiancé), you need to make at least $26,430
- Active duty military members need to meet a higher threshold (125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines)
- If you don’t meet the requirements, you can add a joint sponsor (friend/family in the U.S. with sufficient income)
Important:
To apply for a marriage green card, the sponsor must also meet specific income requirements for green cards.
K-1 Visa Costs (2025)
The current total cost for a K-1 fiancé visa is $940. Here’s a breakdown of expenses:
| Fee Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Form I-129F filing fee | $675 |
| Medical examination | ~$200 (varies by provider) |
| DS-160 visa application fee | $265 |
These fees do not reflect additional costs, such as translating and photocopying your documents and obtaining required documents, such as your birth certificate.
A K-1 visa is only the beginning of your U.S. immigration journey. Learn what it takes to get a marriage green card and become a permanent U.S. resident.
Boundless Tip
USCIS offers a $50 discount if you file Form I-129F online.
Processing Timeline
The current K-1 visa timeline (2025):
- I-129F Processing: 4-7 months
- This estimate is based on analysis by Boundless partner Track My Visa Now.
- National Visa Center Processing: 4-6 weeks
- Embassy Processing & Interview: Varies by country (typically 4-6 weeks)
- Total Time: Approximately 8-11 months from filing to visa issuance
Why is this timeline different from USCIS processing times?
USCIS updates its processing times quarterly. Track My Visa Now updates monthly, so its data may reflect more recent trends. USCIS currently reports a K-1 visa wait time of about 6 months.
Fiancé Visa Application Process Step-by-Step
Step 1: Complete and File the Form I-129F Petition
Important:
A new version of Form I-129F becomes mandatory starting May 1, 2025. Be sure to download the latest version from the USCIS website to avoid rejection. The new form includes stricter formatting requirements as part of USCIS’s move toward digital processing.
The U.S. citizen starts the process by filing Form I-129F with supporting documents, including:
- Proof of U.S. Citizenship
- Copy of U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or birth certificate
- Proof of Intent to Marry
- Signed statements from both partners stating you intend to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e)’s entry to the U.S. and begin the Adjustment of Status process
- Evidence of genuine relationship (photos, communication records, etc.)
- Proof of In-Person Meeting
- Evidence that you met in person at least once in the last two years (unless requesting a waiver) such as photos together with dates, flight iteneraries or boarding passes, hotel reservations, stamped passport pages, etc.
- Proof of Relationship
- Evidence showing a bona fide relationship
- Examples:
- Engagement photos
- Call or message logs
- Letters or cards exchanged
- Photos with each other’s families
- Passport-Style Photos
- One passport photo of the U.S. petitioner
- One passport photo of the foreign fiancé(e)
- Copy of the foreign fiancé(e)’s passport biographic page
- Any name change documents (if applicable)
- Legal Eligibility Evidence
- Proof of termination of previous marriages for either party (e.g., divorce decrees, annulments, or death certificates)
- If applicable, waiver request for the in-person meeting requirement
- The sponsored fiancé must include a copy of all previously issued Form I-94 arrival/departure records
Evidence of relationships in the digital era
The digital era offers applicants additional evidence for their application that could be helpful to consider.
- Screenshots of social media interactions: Consider including select screenshots of your communication on social media, such as posts you’ve tagged each other in, public displays of affection, and chat histories that demonstrate meaningful conversations or experiences you’ve shared.
- Digital communication logs: if you communicate a lot on apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, etc. an organized collection of the depth of your communications could be valuable.
- Shared digital experiences: If you play online together, have shared subscriptions to services, or collaborate on projects online, these shared activities might strengthen your case.
After the form and supporting documents are filed at the appropriate address, USCIS will typically send a receipt notice within 30 days. USCIS may also send a Request for Evidence (RFE) if they need more information. Once Form I-129F is approved, USCIS will send an approval notice.
Feeling overwhelmed by the paperwork? Get our complete K-1 document checklist →
Step 2: DS-160 and Interview
Next, the sponsored fiancé must complete the State Department’s online DS-160 form (technically called the “Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application”). This is the actual K-1 visa application.
Important:
Do not forget to print the confirmation page once the form has been submitted online.
Gather the following documents:
The sponsored fiancé must provide:
- Two passport-style photos
- Birth certificate
- Valid, unexpired passport
- Police clearance obtained from all countries of residence of more than six months since the age of 16
- Sealed medical exam form (obtained through physician abroad who is authorized by the State Department)
The U.S. citizen fiancé must provide:
- Affidavit of support (Form I-134)
- Most recent tax returns
- Proof of relationship (copy of the approved I-129F package originally filed with USCIS)
Schedule the K-1 visa interview
The sponsored fiancé will receive a notice from the U.S. Embassy in their home country, including the date and location of their visa interview and a list of required documents (listed above).
Attend the medical exam
After that, the foreign fiancé should schedule and attend a medical examination with an authorized physician. The doctor will check for conditions that could make you inadmissible to the U.S. and administer necessary vaccinations.
Attend the interview
The fiancé visa interview takes place at the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate in the sponsored fiancé’s home country, usually about 4–6 weeks after the embassy’s initial notice.
The interviewing officer will typically decide on the case either the same day of the interview or shortly afterward. If they need additional evidence, they will request that it be submitted directly to the U.S. consulate.
Step 3: Arrival and Marriage
Next steps at a glance:
- The foreign fiancé has 6 months to travel to the U.S.
- The couple must marry within 90 days of arrival
- If no marriage occurs, the foreign fiancé must leave the U.S.
- After marriage, the foreign spouse applies for a green card
Once requirements are met and the K-1 visa is approved, the sponsored fiancé is given a total of six months from the date of approval of the initial I-129F form to travel to the United States.
Upon arrival, the couple must marry within 90 days, or the sponsored fiancé will lose K-1 status. If the couple decides not to get married, the sponsored partner will not be eligible to remain in the United States and must leave the country immediately.
After getting married, the final step is to apply for a marriage-based green card, which will be sponsored by the partner who originally sponsored the K-1 fiancé visa.
Recent Policy Changes
The immigration landscape for marriage-based visas appears to be shifting in 2025:
- New Form I-129F Requirements: USCIS has released a new version of Form I-129F with stricter formatting and filing requirements. Starting May 1, 2025, only the new edition will be accepted. This update likely relates to USCIS’s broader initiative for digital processing and reducing application errors.
- Changes in Marriage Fraud Enforcement: ICE has updated and subsequently archived its longstanding public campaign on marriage fraud that was originally launched in 2014. While the content remains accessible, it’s now labeled as “archived and not reflective of current practice.” The timing is notable – the page was refreshed shortly after the 2024 election and marked as archived in March 2025.
These changes may signal renewed scrutiny of marriage-based immigration or reflect shifting enforcement priorities under the current administration. While they don’t change the core eligibility requirements or legal process, applicants should be prepared for potentially heightened verification of relationship legitimacy.
K-1 Visa FAQs
Yes, but only if, after you arrive in the U.S., you apply and are approved for a work permit by completing Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization).
Like the K-1 visa, this employment authorization is only valid for 90 days, starting when you arrive in the U.S.
If you choose to apply for permanent residency after you arrive and file Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), you can include Form I-765 with your application. This would grant you work authorization for one year.
No. The K-1 visa automatically expires after 90 days.
No. The K-1 visa is only open to the fiancés of U.S. citizens. If your partner is a green card holder, they will only be able to petition for your entry if you are already married.
After you’ve entered the U.S. on a K-1 visa and married your partner, you will need to file Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) to become a permanent resident. Boundless has prepared a guide to adjusting your status, so you can understand the next steps in this process.
Yes, you will need to submit Form I-134 when applying for a K-1 visa.
If you are the fiancé of a U.S. citizen, you can apply for a K-1 visa. If you are the spouse of a U.S. citizen, historically you could apply for a K-3 visa. In recent years, the K-3 visa has been issued on a case-by-case basis. The common path for married couples when one partner lives abroad is the CR-1 spousal visa, which is available to partners of U.S. citizens and green card holders.
According to USCIS, consular posts have been authorized to prioritize K visas. You should check the website of your nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for the latest information.
If your U.S. citizen partner has filed Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)) for you and this petition is set to expire, you may be able to extend the form and avoid having to file a new petition.
The 2-year rule is a crucial part of the USCIS K-1 visa process. It is designed to ensure that the relationship between the US citizen and the foreign-citizen fiancé is genuine by requiring couples to provide proof they’ve met in person at least once within the two years before they submit Form I-129F. This doesn’t mean couples need to have been in a relationship or know each other for two or more years; it simply means that before you send in your K-1 visa forms, you must have evidence that you’ve physically met.
Online meetings, video chats, and phone calls do not satisfy this requirement. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. If meeting in person would conflict with religious or cultural traditions, or if it would result in severe hardship to the foreign-citizen fiancé(e), the rule may not apply.
If you haven’t met your fiancé in person at all, this could prevent you from qualifying for a K-1 visa, as USCIS generally requires that the couple has met in person at least once within the two years before filing the petition.
You may be able to request a waiver of this requirement if meeting in person would cause extreme hardship or violate strict cultural or religious traditions.
To apply for the waiver, you must explain your situation in detail and provide strong evidence supporting your reasons for not meeting in person. The waiver request should be included in your Form I-129F petition. Remember that waivers are granted on a case-by-case basis, and approval is not guaranteed.