Marriage is one of the more common reasons that people bring loved ones to the United States. Family visas can be less of a challenge to secure than educational or employment visas. You can bring a spouse into the country when you have a visa, a green card or citizenship.
You can also potentially bring your fiance to the United States if you want to get married, although you typically need to be a citizen to do so. If you secure a fiance or K-1 visa, your loved one from another country can legally travel to the United States and live here with you indefinitely.
However, there are crucial requirements or standards that apply to K-1 visas. Understanding those requirements can help you better navigate the complex family immigration process and marry the person you love.
You need evidence of a legitimate relationship
For the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to take your immigration application seriously, you will need to demonstrate that you either have a legitimate romantic relationship or that you belong to a traditional culture where arranged marriages are commonplace.
Provided that you can demonstrate through witness testimony or other evidence, like travel records, that you have a legitimate relationship and intent to marry, you can overcome the scrutiny applied to K-1 visa applications.
Your fiance must pass a background check
The same basic standards regarding criminal records and health history apply to fiancee visa applicants as any other potential visitors to the United States. Your fiance will need to submit to a background check and provide medical records. If they do not meet the same standards applied to other immigrants, then you may not be able to bring them to the country to marry them.
You have to get married within 90 days
A K-1 fiance visa is only valid for a brief period of time. The clock starts ticking as soon as your fiance enters the country. You have 90 days to legally marry after they enter the country. If you do not marry in the allocated window of time, they could face removal, and you may have to begin the visa application process all over again.
Understanding the rules that apply to different visa programs can help those hoping to bring the person they want to marry to the United States.
