If you’ve found love with someone that lives in another country and wants to get married and live together in Mississippi, you’ll need to get them a fiancé(e) visa. However, the process is not quite simple; there are laws and requirements you’ll both need to meet.
The fiancé visa
A fiancé visa (also known as a K-1 visa) is a type of nonimmigrant visa that allows foreign citizens to come to the United States to marry their U.S. citizen fiancé(e). Once married, the foreign citizen can apply for permanent residency (a green card).
Eligibility for a fiancé visa
The U.S. immigration laws state that to be eligible for a fiancé visa, you and your fiancé(e) must meet the following requirements:
- Having met each other in person at least once within the past two years
- Prove that you have a genuine relationship with your fiancé(e)
- Be free to marry, which means that any previous marriages must have ended in divorce, death, or annulment
- Intend to marry within 90 days of your fiancé(e) entering the United States
- You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a stable job or sufficient income that can support the both of you
Applying for a fiancé visa
The first step is to file a petition on Form I-129F with USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services). Once USCIS approves the petition, it will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. After that, it will be forwarded to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate, where your fiancé(e) will apply for a visa interview.
The entire process generally takes around six to nine months, but it could take longer depending on the country your fiancé(e) is from and whether they need to get a medical exam. The current fee for filing the I-129F petition is $535. Your fiancé(e) will also have to pay a visa application fee of $265 and a mandatory biometrics fee of $85.
You should keep in mind that you must marry within the stipulated 90 days timeline. Failure to do so will result in your fiancé(e) having to leave the United States. And if you marry on the 91st day, you’ll have to file an alien petition form I-130 instead.
