When two people wish to get married, and one of them is a foreign national who resides outside of the United States, the K-1 visa is a perfect solution to getting married here. This visa permits the foreign national to travel to the U.S. for purposes of getting married within 90 days of the date of their lawful entry into the U.S. The process involved in obtaining a K-1 visa is complex and time consuming, and certain mandatory costs must be paid to the U.S. government and various individuals or entitles in the foreign national’s home country.
Meeting the K-1 Visa Requirements
Before the parties start spending money on the visa, they need to confirm that they meet all of the requirements for one. Those follow:
- The petitioner (sponsor) must be a citizen of the United States.
- The petitioner and the foreign national must both be legally free to marry.
- The parties must have personally met in the last two years. There are highly limited exceptions to this rule.
- The parties must intend on marrying within 90 days of the foreign national’s entry into the United States.
I-129F Filing Fee
The fee for filing an I-129F petition is $535. A check in this amount must accompany the petition when it is sent for filing. The check should be payable to the Department of Homeland Security.
DS-160 Fee
The charge for the DS-160 is $265. Each such application is required to submit a separate fee. This fee is typically paid electronically. Confirmation on how to pay can be obtained by reviewing country specific instructions on the U.S embassy or consulate website.
Biometrics Fee
There is an $85 biometrics fee, but it was likely previously paid with your filing fee. The foreign national can confirm this with the embassy or consulate where his or her visa interview will be conducted at.
Medical Exam Fee
These charges will vary depending on what country the foreign national submits to a medical examination in and which approved physician conducts the examination.
The parties to an F-1 visa can drastically reduce the chances of a request for more information or outright rejection of a visa petition by retaining us here at Maison Law Immigration Lawyers. For many years now, we’ve represented people from across the world on K-1 visas. We offer free consultations on K-1 visa questions and issues. Contact us with your questions as soon as you can.
