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How to Get a Visa After Marriage?

Press Releases2021-04-01

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So you've married a U.S. citizen and now want to obtain a visa to come to the U.S. You can apply for a K-1 visa, officially called the "nonimmigrant visa for a spouse." With this kind of visa, you can travel to the U.S. and stay there as you complete the immigration process. Your U.S. citizen spouse must make the initial petition for this visa on your behalf.

STEP 1
File a Petition for an Alien Relative (Form 1-130) with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office in your area. Your spouse must make this petition. Within a few weeks, your spouse will receive a Form I-797, indicating that Form I-130 has been received.

STEP 2
File a Petition for an Alien Fiance (Form I-129-F) with the USCIS. Again, your spouse must make this petition. You will be expected to provide your biographical background, copies of any divorce decrees, death certificates or annulments, and, for your spouse, proof of U.S. citizenship.

STEP 3
Wait for the I-129-F petition to be approved. Once it is approved, the USCIS sends the petition to the National Visa Center. The application is then forwarded to the U.S. Consulate that issues visas for your nationality. The process usually takes 2 to 3 months.

STEP 4
Apply for the K-1 visa process. Submit a valid passport, your birth certificate, a nonimmigrant visa application, your marriage certificate, two identical color photos (size 2 by 2 inches), police certification from all the places you have lived since age 16, a medical certificate, evidence that your spouse can support you (Form I-134, an Affidavit of Support, may be required) and proof that the marriage is genuine. Be prepared to pay the processing fee, which usually costs around $131. You will submit the application in the country in which you were married.

STEP 5
Wait for your K-1 petition to be approved. Processing times vary greatly, depending on individual circumstances. If your I-239-F petition is in danger of expiring before your petition is approved, you can renew it.

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