Los Angeles Fiancé Visa Lawyer
Helping engaged couples navigate the
fiancé visa process and begin their lives
together in the United States.
A Path Forward for Engaged Couples
Is the K-1 Visa Right for You?
U.S. Citizen Petitioner
Intent to Marry
You and your fiancé(e) must genuinely intend to marry within 90 days after arrival in the United States.
Met in Person
Free to Marry
Both of you must be legally free to marry, and any previous marriages must have been legally terminated.
How the Process Works
File the I-129F Petition
Embassy Processing
After USCIS approves the petition, the case is forwarded for visa processing. Your fiancé(e) completes the required application, medical examination, and interview at the assigned U.S. embassy or consulate.
Enter the United States and Marry
If the K-1 visa is approved, your fiancé(e) may travel to the United States. You must marry each other within 90 days after admission.
Apply for a Green Card
After the marriage, your spouse may apply for lawful permanent residence by filing an adjustment-of-status application with USCIS.
Guidance Before and After Arrival
We guide couples through each stage of the fiancé visa process—from preparing the initial petition to applying for permanent residence after marriage.
- Careful preparation of the I-129F petition
- Organization of relationship evidence and supporting documents
- Visa application and interview guidance
- Adjustment-of-status support after marriage
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for a fiancé visa?
The K-1 visa allows a U.S. citizen to petition for a foreign fiancé(e) who is outside the United States and intends to come to the United States to marry the petitioner.
Both individuals must be legally free to marry, and the couple must have a genuine intention to marry within 90 days after the foreign fiancé(e) enters the United States. Generally, the couple must also have met in person at least once during the two years immediately before filing Form I-129F.
USCIS may waive the in-person meeting requirement in limited circumstances, including when meeting would cause extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen petitioner or would violate strict and long-established cultural or social customs. These exceptions are narrowly evaluated and require appropriate supporting evidence.
Lawful permanent residents cannot use the K-1 process to petition for a fiancé(e). If the couple is already legally married, the foreign national is no longer considered a fiancé(e) for K-1 purposes and the couple generally must pursue a marriage-based immigration process instead.
How long does the process take?
There is no single processing time for every K-1 case. The overall timeline depends on USCIS processing of Form I-129F, transfer of the approved petition through the National Visa Center, appointment availability at the assigned U.S. embassy or consulate, and whether additional documentation or administrative processing is required.
After USCIS approves the petition, the National Visa Center assigns a case number and forwards the case to the appropriate embassy or consulate. The foreign fiancé(e) must then complete the visa application, obtain the required civil documents, attend a medical examination, and appear for a consular interview.
Missing documents, Requests for Evidence, criminal or immigration history, prior marriages, security screening, or other eligibility concerns may extend the process. Government processing times are estimates and may change, so no specific approval date can be guaranteed.
What happens after entering the United States?
The foreign fiancé(e) must marry the U.S. citizen who filed the I-129F petition within 90 days after entering the United States. The K-1 visa is issued for the purpose of completing that marriage and generally cannot be used to marry a different person.
After the marriage, the foreign spouse may file Form I-485 with USCIS to apply for adjustment of status and lawful permanent residence. The marriage itself does not automatically provide a green card or employment authorization.
The applicant may also be eligible to request employment authorization and advance permission to travel while the adjustment application is pending. A K-1 entrant should obtain legal guidance before traveling internationally because departing without appropriate authorization may affect the pending application.
If permanent residence is approved before the couple’s second wedding anniversary, the foreign spouse generally receives conditional permanent residence for two years and must later apply to remove those conditions.
Can my fiancé(e)’s children come too?
Possibly. An unmarried child under 21 may qualify for a K-2 visa as the derivative child of a K-1 applicant. Every eligible child should be identified on the Form I-129F petition, although a separate visa application and applicable fee are generally required for each child.
A child may travel to the United States with the K-1 parent or follow later within the permitted period. The K-1 parent must enter the United States before, or at the same time as, any children entering with K-2 visas.
After the marriage, each eligible child generally must file a separate application for adjustment of status. Because age, timing, custody, the date of the marriage, and the child’s relationship to the U.S. citizen may affect eligibility, families should evaluate these issues before beginning the process.
Which is better? The fiancé visa or the marriage-based visa?
It depends. The better option will depend on the couple’s circumstances, priorities, and budget.
A fiancé visa may be the quicker option for starting the immigration process when the couple is not yet married. If the couple is legally free to marry and has met in person in the last two years, the U.S. citizen may file the fiancé visa petition without waiting for the couple to get married first. By comparison, the marriage-based visa process cannot begin until the couple is legally married.
However, a marriage-based petition may be somewhat more straightforward to establish because the couple is already legally married. The marriage certificate establishes the qualifying relationship, although the couple must still provide evidence that the marriage is genuine and was not entered into solely for immigration purposes. A fiancé visa case also requires evidence of a genuine relationship and the couple’s intention to marry within 90 days after the foreign fiancé(e) enters the United States.
Cost is another important consideration. The marriage-based visa process is generally more cost-effective when the couple’s ultimate goal is permanent residence. After entering the United States with an immigrant visa, the foreign spouse ordinarily enters as a lawful permanent resident.
A fiancé visa involves an additional stage after the foreign fiancé(e) arrives. The couple must marry within 90 days, and the foreign spouse must then file a separate adjustment-of-status application to obtain a green card. That additional process involves further applications, government filing fees, supporting documents, and potentially additional attorney’s fees.
Therefore, the fiancé visa may allow an unmarried couple to begin the process sooner, while the marriage-based visa may provide a more direct and cost-effective path to a green card. Processing times can vary, so neither option is guaranteed to bring the foreign national to the United States faster. The best choice should be based on the couple’s wedding plans, finances, immigration history, and individual priorities.