Fiancee Visa Application

A Fiancee Visa or K1 Visa application, USCIS Form I-129F, is used by an American who wants to bring a foreign citizen fiancee to America. If your fiancee is not a citizen of the United States and you plan to get married in the United States, then you must file an application with USCIS on behalf of your fiancee. A fiancee is a person who is engaged or contracted to be married. The marriage must be legally possible according to laws of the state in the United States where the marriage will take place. After the application is approved, your fiancee must obtain a visa issued at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad. Ukrainian citizens go to Warsaw Poland for their fiancee visa.

When I received and reviewed my USCIS Form I-129F, I called my friend in Ukraine and proposed over the phone. She graciously accepted and I completed the fiancee visa application which stated my intention to marry this person. Only a U.S. citizen may file USCIS Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancee, on behalf of a fiancee. The U.S. citizen filing the application must provide the following items to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (more complete instructions are on USCIS Form I-129F):

1. Form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancee (if your fiancee has unmarried children who are under 21, they are eligible to accompany your fiancee, but only if they are listed on this form.)
2. Evidence of your U.S. citizenship - your original U.S. birth certificate, your U.S. passport, your Certificate of Naturalization, or your Certificate of Citizenship. (Please see USCIS Form I-129F for information on the use of copies.)
3. Form G-325A Biographic Data Sheets (one for you and one for your fiancee)
4. One color photo of you and one of your fiancee taken within 30 days of filing (please see Form I-129F for more instructions on photos).
5. A copy of any divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment decrees if either you or your fiancee have been previously married.
6. Proof of permission to marry if you or your fiancee are subject to any age restrictions. (For instance, in some U.S. states, you must receive special permission to marry if you are under the age of 16.)

The current application fee, the first of many application fees you will incur until your spouse receives his or her Green Card, is $170.00. Expect the USCIS to take between four to six months to approve your petition. USCIS Forms are available online at: http://uscis.gov/graphics/index.htm, by calling 1-800-870-3676, or by visiting any USCIS office.