NonimmigrantFamily-basedMarry within 90 daysForm I-129FLeads to Green Card

K-1 Fiancé(e) of a U.S. Citizen

A visa for the foreign fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States, marry the petitioner within 90 days, and then apply for a Green Card.

Last reviewed Oct 1, 2026Sources: USCIS · Department of StateReport an error

At a glance

Who files: U.S. citizen fiancé(e), on Form I-129F
Petition fee: $675
Visa application fee: $265
Visa validity: Up to 6 months, single entry
Deadline to marry: 90 days after admission
Children: K-2 (unmarried, under 21)

Travel restrictions apply to some nationalities. Proclamation 10998 (effective Jan. 1, 2026) fully suspends both immigrant and nonimmigrant entry for nationals of 19 countries (including Afghanistan, Burma, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen) and for Palestinian Authority travel-document holders, so K visas are suspended for them. For the 20 partially restricted countries the nonimmigrant suspension covers only B, F, M and J visas, so K visas are not suspended, but immigrant entry — the later Green Card step abroad — is. The proclamation applies to people outside the United States without a valid visa on the effective date.

Overview

The K-1 visa lets a U.S. citizen bring a foreign fiancé(e) to the United States to marry. The couple must intend to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e)’s admission, both must be legally free to marry, and they must generally have met in person within the 2 years before the petition was filed (USCIS).

Although K-1 is a nonimmigrant classification, consulates process it much like an immigrant visa: it is handled at immigrant-visa posts, requires a panel-physician medical exam, and is designed to end in permanent residence. After the wedding, the foreign spouse files Form I-485 inside the United States.

If the couple is already married, plans to marry abroad, or the fiancé(e) is already living legally in the United States, the K-1 is not available; the spousal immigrant visa (IR-1/CR-1) or adjustment of status is used instead.

Who qualifies

The petitioner and fiancé(e) must

Petitioner is a U.S. citizen (lawful permanent residents cannot file for a fiancé(e)).
Both intend to marry each other within 90 days of the fiancé(e)’s admission on a K-1 visa.
Both are legally free to marry — any prior marriages ended by divorce, death or annulment.
They met in person at least once in the 2 years before filing, unless USCIS waives this because meeting would violate strict, long-established custom or cause extreme hardship to the petitioner.

Additional screening

International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) limits: absent a waiver, USCIS may not approve a petition from someone who has filed two or more prior fiancé(e)/spousal petitions, or had one approved within the previous two years (9 FAM 502.7-3).
The fiancé(e) must be admissible to the United States, including on medical, criminal and public-charge grounds.

Duration & extensions

Approved petition at the consulate	Valid 4 months; consular officers may revalidate it in 4-month periods (9 FAM 502.7-3)
K-1 visa	Up to 6 months, single entry (USCIS)
K-1 / K-2 status after admission	90 days; cannot be extended
After marriage	Remain while Form I-485 is pending; Green Card is conditional (2 years) if married under 2 years when approved

Fees

Fees are set by USCIS (petition and Green Card stage) and the State Department (visa stage). The USCIS fee schedule edition dated 10/01/26 is current.

Fee	Amount	Who pays	Notes
Form I-129F petition	$675	U.S. citizen	Same fee whether for K-1 or K-1 with K-2 children listed.
K visa application (MRV) fee	$265	Fiancé(e), and each K-2 child	Item 21(d) of the State Department fee schedule.
Panel-physician medical exam	Varies	Fiancé(e)	Paid directly to the panel physician.
Form I-485 (after marriage)	$1,440 paper / $1,390 online	Spouse	$950 paper / $900 online for a child under 14 filing with a parent.
Form I-765 work permit with pending I-485	$260	Spouse	If the I-485 was filed with a fee on or after April 1, 2024. A K-1-based EAD filed alone is $520 paper / $470 online.
USCIS Immigrant Fee	Not charged	—	K nonimmigrants are exempt.

Public Law 119-21 created a $250 Visa Integrity Fee for nonimmigrant visas. The Federal Register notice of July 22, 2025 said the fee would be implemented in a future publication; no implementation notice was found in the Federal Register, and the fee is not listed on the State Department fee page, as of Oct. 1, 2026.

Processing time

Marriage deadline: 90 days; Counted from admission as a K-1; status cannot be extended.
Consular target: 30 days; Public Law 106-113 directs the State Department to process fiancé(e) visas within 30 days of receiving the required information (9 FAM 502.7-3).

USCIS processes I-129F petitions in the order received; current times vary and are published at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times. Consular wait times depend on the post.

Application steps

1
File Form I-129F
The U.S. citizen files Form I-129F with USCIS (Dallas lockbox), listing any children who will come as K-2s.
2
USCIS decision
USCIS approves or denies the petition and sends approved petitions to the State Department’s National Visa Center.
3
Visa application and interview
The fiancé(e) completes Form DS-160, the medical exam and police certificates, pays the $265 fee and attends an interview at the immigrant-visa post for their place of residence.
4
Travel and admission
The fiancé(e) enters the United States while the visa is valid. K-2 children may travel with or after the parent, never before.
5
Marry within 90 days
The couple marries the petitioner — not anyone else — within 90 days of admission.
6
Apply for a Green Card
The spouse (and K-2 children) file Form I-485 with Form I-864 and the medical record; USCIS usually interviews the couple.

Required documents

With the I-129F petition

Proof of the petitioner’s U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, CRBA or passport).
Evidence any prior marriages of either party ended.
Evidence of a bona fide intent to marry within 90 days, and of an in-person meeting within 2 years (or waiver evidence).
One passport-style photo of each party, taken within 30 days of filing.

For the visa interview

Valid passport, birth certificate and police certificates.
Panel physician’s medical report (Form DS-2054 or DS-7794).
Evidence the fiancé(e) will not become a public charge; consular officers may not require Form I-864 at this stage but may request Form I-134 (9 FAM 502.7-3).

Dependents & family

Unmarried children under 21 of the K-1 fiancé(e) may receive K-2 visas without a separate petition, provided they are named on Form I-129F. They may travel with the K-1 or later, but not before.

A K-2 visa must be issued within one year of the K-1 visa’s issuance; after that, the U.S. citizen (or the former K-1, now a permanent resident) must file an I-130 for the child (9 FAM 502.7-3).

K-2 children may adjust status if the parent married the petitioner within 90 days, and must remain unmarried to do so. A K-2 child who was under 21 when admitted does not age out of Green Card eligibility on this basis (USCIS).

Path to a green card

Marrying the petitioner within 90 days makes the foreign spouse an immediate relative, so a visa number is always available. Adjustment is only possible on the basis of that marriage.

Step 1

File Form I-485

Include Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support) from the U.S. citizen spouse, the marriage certificate and the medical record.

Step 2

Work and travel while pending

File Form I-765 and, if travel is needed, Form I-131 for advance parole.

Step 3

Conditional residence

If married less than 2 years when the I-485 is approved, the Green Card is valid for 2 years.

Step 4

Remove conditions

File Form I-751 jointly in the 90 days before the card expires ($750 paper / $700 online).

If the couple marries after the 90 days, the K-1 cannot be used to adjust; the citizen may file Form I-130 instead (USCIS).

K-3 / K-4

Spouse of a U.S. citizen (nonimmigrant)

For couples already married while an I-130 is pending.

CR-1

Spouse of a U.S. citizen, married under 2 years

Immigrant visa for spouses who married abroad.

IR-1

Spouse of a U.S. citizen

Immigrant visa for marriages of 2 years or more.

B-2

Visitor for pleasure

Not for entering to marry and stay; only if departing after the wedding.

Common questions

Can a Green Card holder sponsor a fiancé(e)?

No. Only U.S. citizens can file Form I-129F. A permanent resident must marry first and then file Form I-130 for a spouse.

What happens if we do not marry within 90 days?

K-1 and K-2 status expire after 90 days and cannot be extended; the fiancé(e) is generally expected to leave. If the couple marries later, the citizen may file Form I-130, but the K-1 cannot be the basis for adjustment.

Can the fiancé(e) work after arriving?

Yes, with an EAD. The fiancé(e) may file Form I-765 right after admission (valid only for the 90-day period), or together with Form I-485 after the wedding.

Is Form I-864 needed for the K-1 visa interview?

Not for the visa itself — State Department guidance says consular officers cannot require Form I-864 for a K-1, though they may ask for Form I-134. Form I-864 is required later with the Green Card application.

Official sources

Recent changes

Sep 18, 2026
New Form I-485 edition (09/18/26) required, no grace period. USCIS revised Form I-485 to apply the new public charge final rule. Adjustment applications postmarked or electronically submitted on or after Sept. 18, 2026 must use the 09/18/26 edition; the 01/20/25 and 09/04/26 editions are rejected. Source ↗
Aug 31, 2026
New Form I-864 edition (08/24/26) required from Oct. 1, 2026. USCIS published a new edition of the Affidavit of Support with a credit-report privacy release. After a 30-day grace period, USCIS accepts only the 08/24/26 edition for filings postmarked or submitted on or after Oct. 1, 2026. Source ↗
Aug 24, 2026
Court enjoins USCIS adjudication holds for nationals of 39 countries. In Red Eagle Law v. Edlow (N.D. Cal.), the court enjoined PM-602-0192 and PM-602-0194 and certified a class; USCIS says it will adjudicate covered applications in the normal course while litigation continues. Source ↗
Jul 20, 2026
DHS rescinds the 2022 public charge rule (effective Sept. 18, 2026). Final rule restoring broader officer discretion in public charge determinations. It applies to applications for admission made, and adjustment applications postmarked or submitted, on or after Sept. 18, 2026. Source ↗
Jun 5, 2026
Court vacates USCIS hold policies on pending applications. In Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. USCIS (D.R.I.), the court vacated PM-602-0192, PM-602-0194 and PA-2025-26 (final judgment June 11, 2026). USCIS says it will follow the order pending possible further review. Source ↗
Dec 16, 2025
Proclamation 10998 expands entry restrictions to 39 countries (effective Jan. 1, 2026). Suspends immigrant entry for nationals of every listed country and removes the broad family-based immigrant visa exception that Proclamation 10949 had contained; remaining exceptions are narrow, plus case-by-case national-interest exceptions. Source ↗
Jun 4, 2025
Proclamation 10949 restricts entry from 19 countries (effective June 9, 2025). Originally exempted immediate-relative immigrant visas (IR-1/CR-1, IR-2/CR-2, IR-5) with clear and convincing evidence of the relationship, and adoption visas (IR-3, IR-4, IH-3, IH-4). Those exceptions were superseded by Proclamation 10998. Source ↗
Apr 1, 2024
USCIS fee rule takes effect. The fee schedule final rule (89 FR 6194, published Jan. 31, 2024) set current family-based fees, including separate online and paper fees for Form I-130 and folding biometrics into the filing fees. Source ↗

This page is general reference material compiled from the official sources above and is not legal advice. Eligibility depends on individual facts; rules and fees change, so confirm with the agency before you file. VisaTypes.com is not affiliated with USCIS, the Department of State or any government agency. Spotted an error? Tell us.