The K-1 fiancé(e) visa lets a US citizen bring a foreign fiancé(e) to the United States to marry within 90 days of arrival. It’s a different route from the CR1/IR1 marriage green card — that one is for couples who are already married; the K-1 is for couples who plan to marry after the fiancé(e) arrives. Confusing the two is one of the most common and costly mistakes couples make, since they use different forms, fees, and timelines. Here’s how the K-1 actually works in 2026.
Who qualifies
- The petitioner must be a US citizen (not just a green card holder — K-1 is citizen-only).
- Both parties must be legally free to marry — any prior marriages must be fully terminated by divorce, annulment, or death.
- You must have met in person, in each other’s physical presence, within the two years before filing (with narrow exceptions for cases where meeting would violate strict religious custom or cause extreme hardship). Evidence of this meeting — passport stamps, boarding passes, hotel receipts, dated photos together — is required with the petition.
- You must genuinely intend to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e)’s entry to the US.
The process, step by step
- File Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)) with USCIS. This starts the case and is where you submit proof of your relationship and in-person meeting.
- USCIS approves the petition and forwards it to the National Visa Center, which sends it on to the US embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your fiancé(e)’s residence.
- Your fiancé(e) completes Form DS-160, the standard online nonimmigrant visa application, and schedules a medical exam with an embassy-approved panel physician.
- Visa interview at the consulate, where the officer assesses the same core things as any consular interview — genuineness of the relationship, and no reason for a 214(b)-style refusal.
- Entry to the US on the K-1 visa, which grants a single 90-day window.
- Marry within those 90 days — this deadline is fixed and does not extend. Missing it means the fiancé(e) has no valid status and generally must leave the US.
- File for Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) after the wedding to convert to a green card without leaving the country.
Fees (2026)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Form I-129F petition | $675 (paper) / $625 (filed online) |
| K-1 visa fee at the consulate | $265 |
| Adjustment of Status (Form I-485), after marriage | $1,440 |
| Core government total | ≈ $2,380 |
On top of these government fees, budget roughly $400–$1,000+ for the medical exam, document translations, courier costs, and travel — the exact amount varies heavily by country and clinic.
The income requirement
The petitioning US citizen must sign an Affidavit of Support (Form I-864, filed at the adjustment-of-status stage) showing household income at or above 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for their household size. For 2026, that’s roughly $27,050 for a household of two and $34,150 for a household of three in the 48 contiguous states. If your income falls short, you can add assets, a household member’s income, or bring in a qualifying joint sponsor.
Timeline
Expect 10–16 months total from filing Form I-129F to the fiancé(e)’s entry into the US: roughly 7–12 months for USCIS to approve the petition (this step accounts for most of the variability, and depends heavily on the service center), plus another 3–5 months for National Visa Center processing, the medical exam, and the consular interview. After the wedding, the adjustment-of-status process to convert to a full green card typically adds several more months on top.
What happens after marriage
Once you marry within the 90-day window, your spouse files Form I-485 to adjust status. Because the marriage is still new at approval, USCIS issues a two-year conditional green card rather than the standard 10-year card — the couple must later file Form I-751 to remove the conditions and prove the marriage is ongoing and genuine.
K-1 vs CR1/IR1 — which is faster?
There’s no universal answer — it depends on where you are in the relationship. If you’re not yet married, K-1 lets your fiancé(e) enter the US sooner and marry locally, but you still face the adjustment-of-status process afterward. If you’re already married, the CR1/IR1 route skips the fiancé-visa step entirely and goes straight to an immigrant visa, which can end up faster overall since it avoids a second, separate USCIS filing after the wedding. Compare both timelines against your specific situation before deciding.
FAQ
Can we get married before the K-1 visa is approved? No — marrying before your fiancé(e) enters the US on the K-1 invalidates the visa category entirely. If you marry first, you need the CR1/IR1 marriage visa process instead, not K-1.
What if we don’t marry within 90 days? The fiancé(e) falls out of status and is expected to depart the US. There’s no extension mechanism for the 90-day window itself.
Can children come with the K-1 holder? Yes, unmarried children under 21 of the fiancé(e) can apply for a derivative K-2 visa to accompany or follow later.
Do we need a lawyer? Not required, but the in-person-meeting evidence and genuineness-of-relationship documentation are common refusal points — many couples use an immigration attorney for exactly this reason.
This is general preparation guidance, not legal advice — fees, income thresholds and processing times change, so confirm current figures on USCIS’s I-129F page and travel.state.gov before you file. If you’re preparing a US family visa application and want a structured way to track documents and deadlines, join the VisaMet waitlist.
Sources: USCIS — I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e); USCIS — I-864P, HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support; travel.state.gov — Fiancé(e) Visa.