K-1 fiancé(e) visa

• Proof of the petitioner's U.S. citizenship: U.S. passport, birth certificate or naturalization certificate.
• Passports or national ID cards for both partners.
• Proof that any earlier marriage of either partner ended: divorce decree or death certificate.
• Proof of the in-person meeting in the last 2 years: boarding passes, passport stamps, hotel bills, photos together. If you ask for a waiver, evidence of the custom or the hardship.
• Proof that the relationship is genuine and that you plan to marry: messages and call logs over time, photos, letters, and statements from family and friends.
• The petitioner's information on certain convictions and protection orders, which the petition must include (8 U.S.C. 1184(d)(1)).
• Birth certificates of the fiancé(e) and of any unmarried children under 21 to list as K-2. Turkish civil records (for example a nüfus kayıt örneği) with certified English translations.
• Court and police records for any arrest or charge of either partner, in any country.

• Weak proof of a genuine relationship: if the consular officer finds the relationship not genuine, the petition goes back to USCIS (USCIS fiancé(e) page).
• No in-person meeting in the 2 years before filing: the petition is denied unless the director grants the waiver, which the rule allows only for extreme hardship to the petitioner or strict, long-established customs of the fiancé(e)'s culture (8 CFR 214.2(k)(2)).
• Earlier petitions: DHS may not approve a petition if the petitioner has already petitioned for two or more people, or if 2 years have not passed since the filing of an earlier approved petition, unless it grants a waiver (8 U.S.C. 1184(d)(2)).
• Missing information on convictions or protection orders that the petition must include (8 U.S.C. 1184(d)(1)).
• The 90-day window: K-1 and K-2 status ends after 90 days and cannot be extended, and the fiancé(e) generally cannot apply for a green card on any basis except marriage to the petitioner.
• Marrying someone else: a K-1 holder can adjust status only through marriage to the petitioner who filed Form I-129F (8 CFR 214.2(k)(6)).
• An expired petition: an approved petition is valid for 4 months unless it is revalidated (8 CFR 214.2(k)(5)).
• A visa is not admission: a CBP officer at the port of entry makes the final decision.
• Inadmissibility: the grounds of inadmissibility apply except labor certification, and a waiver granted for the K-1 visa works only if the fiancé(e) marries the petitioner.

• The couple has already married, or will marry outside the U.S.: the spouse route starts with Form I-130; see family green cards.
• The petitioner is a permanent resident: only a U.S. citizen can petition for a K-1.
• The fiancé(e) is already in the United States: a K-1 petition is for a fiancé(e) who applies for the visa abroad, so ask about other routes; see family green cards.
• Fear of return or a pending removal case: see asylum and removal defense.
• A K-1 petition or visa application that has stalled: see mandamus lawsuits for delayed cases for the court route.

Who this is for

• U.S. citizens engaged to a partner who lives outside the U.S.
• Couples who plan to marry in the U.S. and live here.
• Fiancé(e)s with unmarried children under 21 who would travel with them.
• Couples choosing between a K-1 and marrying abroad first.

Key requirements

• The petitioner must be a U.S. citizen. Both partners must be legally able to marry; any earlier marriage must have ended by divorce, death or annulment.
• The couple must have met in person at least once in the 2 years before the petition is filed. DHS may waive this only for extreme hardship to the petitioner or for strict, long-established customs of the fiancé(e)'s culture (8 CFR 214.2(k)(2); 8 U.S.C. 1184(d)(1)).
• Both must intend in good faith to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e)'s arrival, and the marriage must not be for the sole purpose of getting an immigration benefit.
• The petitioner files Form I-129F with USCIS. The USCIS page describes paper filing at the Dallas lockbox. The fee is $675 (Form G-1055, edition 10/16/26).
• If USCIS approves, it sends the petition to the State Department's National Visa Center, which forwards it to the U.S. embassy or consulate, generally where the fiancé(e) lives.
• The fiancé(e) completes Form DS-160, has a medical examination by an authorized panel physician and attends a visa interview. The K-1 visa application fee is $265 (22 CFR 22.1).
• A K-1 visa does not guarantee entry. A CBP officer at the port of entry makes the final admission decision.
• Unmarried children under 21 may come as K-2 if the petitioner lists them on Form I-129F. They cannot enter before the K-1 parent.
• After the wedding, the spouse files Form I-485; K-2 children may file at the same time or afterwards. If the marriage is under 2 years old when Form I-485 is approved, the spouse receives a 2-year conditional green card.
• Adjustment of status is discretionary. The applicant must also be admissible, or eligible for a waiver.

What to check with an attorney

• Whether the petitioner is a U.S. citizen, because a permanent resident cannot petition for a K-1.
• When the couple last met in person, and whether the proof is strong enough for the 2-year rule or for a waiver request.
• Any earlier marriage of either partner and the papers that show it ended.
• Any earlier K-1 or K-3 petitions by the petitioner, because of the limits on repeat petitions.
• Any arrests, convictions, protection orders or earlier immigration problems of either partner.
• Whether to marry in the U.S. with a K-1, or abroad first and file Form I-130 for a spouse visa.

Fees and rules reviewed 26 Oct 2026. Sources below.

Official sources:

1. USCIS: Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)
2. USCIS: Visas for Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens
3. USCIS: Green Card for Fiancé(e) of U.S. Citizen
4. USCIS: Fee Schedule, Form G-1055 (edition 10/16/26)
5. 22 CFR 22.1: State Department visa fees
6. 8 CFR 214.2(k): fiancé(e) petitions
7. 8 U.S.C. 1184(d): visas for fiancé(e)s of citizens
8. State Department: Nonimmigrant Visa for a Fiancé(e) (K-1)
9. USCIS: Bringing Spouses to Live in the United States as Permanent Residents

What changed: new page on the K-1 fiancé(e) visa with 2026 fees, the 90-day rule, the meeting rule, repeat-petition limits and the K-1 or marry-abroad choice.