Fiance visa
Come to the US to marry, then stay together
A US citizen can bring their fiance here to marry. After you arrive, you have 90 days to marry. Then you apply for a green card from inside the US. Here is each step and what it costs today.
Last checked September 2026 · Sources
- Who files
- Your US citizen fiance
- Time to marry
- 90 days after entry
- I-129F fee
- $675 (September 2026)
- Legal fee
- Quoted on request
Quick answer
What are the K-1 visa requirements?
The petitioner must be a US citizen; green card holders cannot file. You must both be free to marry, must have met in person at least once in the two years before filing (a waiver is possible in narrow cases), and must plan to marry within 90 days after you are admitted. After the wedding you apply for your green card from inside the US.
- Form I-129F: $675.
- The 90 days start when you are admitted, and K-1 status cannot be extended.
- Green card holders petition for a spouse after marriage instead.
Who qualifies
What you both need
All of these must be true.
-
The petitioner is a US citizen
A green card holder cannot file for a fiance. Green card holders petition for a spouse after marriage instead.
-
You are both free to marry
Any earlier marriages must have legally ended.
-
You met in person in the last two years
You must have met at least once within the two years before filing. A waiver is possible if meeting would break strict, long-established customs, or would cause extreme hardship to the US citizen.
-
You plan to marry within 90 days
The petition must show you intend to marry within 90 days after the K-1 enters the US.
-
Limits if you have filed before
If the US citizen has filed for two or more fiances before, or had a fiance petition approved and less than two years have passed since that petition was filed, they must ask for a waiver with the petition.
A partner-firm attorney confirms eligibility before anything is filed.
The process
From petition to green card
-
Your fiance files Form I-129F
It is filed by mail with USCIS.
-
USCIS decides the petition
If approved, it goes to the State Department’s National Visa Center, then to the US embassy or consulate.
-
Visa interview
A consular officer interviews you and decides if you qualify. You also have a medical exam with a doctor you choose from the embassy’s approved panel. If approved, you get a K-1 visa to travel to the US.
-
Travel and marry within 90 days
90 daysThe 90 days start when you are admitted. K-1 status ends after 90 days and cannot be extended.
-
Apply for your green card
After the wedding, you file Form I-485 with Form I-864 (affidavit of support). You can also ask for a work permit and travel permission.
-
Remove conditions later, if needed
If you were married less than two years when you became a resident, you get a 2-year card. You file Form I-751 in the 90 days before it expires.
Costs
Government fees, as of September 2026
Paid to USCIS or the State Department, separately from our legal fee.
| Item | Government fee |
|---|---|
| Form I-129F, fiance petition | $675 |
| K visa application fee (State Department) | $265 |
| USCIS Immigrant Fee | $0. K visa holders do not pay it. |
| Form I-485, green card application after marriage | $1,440 paper, $1,390 online |
| Form I-765, work permit while I-485 is pending | $260 |
| Form I-131, travel permission while I-485 is pending | $630 paper, $580 online |
| Form I-864, affidavit of support | $0 |
| Medical exam | Set by the doctor, not the government |
| Later: Form I-751, remove conditions | $750 paper, $700 online |
| Our legal fee | Quoted on request, flat, before you sign |
USCIS fees from Form G-1055 (edition 09/09/26). State Department fee from 22 CFR 22.1. Other visa fees may apply. Fees change, so the attorney confirms the current amounts before filing.
Compare
K-1, or marry first and apply as a spouse?
Both can work. The right one depends on your plans, where you want to marry, and your timing.
| K-1 fiance visa | Marry first, then spouse petition | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you marry | In the US, within 90 days of arrival | Anywhere, before the petition |
| First form | Form I-129F | Form I-130 |
| How you arrive | On a K-1 visa, then you apply for a green card inside the US | On an immigrant visa. You become a resident when you are admitted. |
| Main government fees | I-129F, K visa fee, then I-485 in the US | I-130, immigrant visa fee, affidavit review fee and USCIS Immigrant Fee |
| Who can file | US citizens only | US citizens and green card holders |
See the marriage green card and consular processing pages for the spouse route.
Timing
How long it takes
We will not promise a date. USCIS and consular times vary and change. You can check current USCIS processing times.
Premium processing is not offered for Form I-129F. What we can control is the quality of the filing: complete, clear and reviewed by two attorneys, so USCIS has fewer reasons to ask for more.
How we help
What you get when we handle your case
Your case is handled by licensed attorneys at our independent partner firm. Green Card Guide is not a law firm.
A clear case portal
See every form, deadline and document in one place, with unlimited messages to your case team.
Two attorneys on your case
A senior attorney leads. A second attorney reviews before filing.
One flat fee, quoted before you sign
No hourly billing. RFE or NOID responses on cases we filed are included.
What is paid separately
Government fees, the medical exam, translations and document requests.
FAQ
Common worries
K-1 status ends after 90 days and cannot be extended. If you do not marry, you must leave the US. If you marry after the 90 days, your spouse may file Form I-130 for you instead.
Generally, no. A K-1 can usually only get a green card through marriage to the person who filed for them.
You can apply for a work permit with Form I-765. Work permission based on K-1 status is valid only for 90 days after entry. After the wedding, you can also ask for a work permit with your green card application.
If your child is unmarried and under 21, they may be able to come on a K-2 visa.
No. Only US citizens can file for a K-1. A green card holder can petition for you after you marry.
No. No one can promise approval. A partner-firm attorney confirms eligibility first, and a second attorney reviews every filing.
Sources · checked September 2026
- USCIS: Visas for Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens
- USCIS: Form I-129F
- USCIS: Form G-1055 Fee Schedule (edition 09/09/26)
- USCIS: USCIS Immigrant Fee
- 22 CFR 22.1: State Department schedule of fees
- USCIS: Conditional Permanent Residence
- USCIS: Bring your Spouse to Live in the United States
- USCIS: Family of Green Card Holders (Permanent Residents)
- USCIS: Consular Processing
- USCIS: Form I-129F Instructions (edition 01/20/25)
- 22 CFR 41.108: Medical examination (K visa applicants)
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; a partner-firm attorney confirms what applies to you before anything is filed.
