Trying to get a visa to live and work in Florida can be confusing. What application do you need to fill out? What information are you required to provide? Do you need an immigration lawyer to help you?
By finding out the answers to all your K-1 Visa questions, you can get your application going – and hopefully approved. Find out more.
How to Qualify for a K-1 Visa
A K-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa for a foreign citizen who is a fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen. So if you are engaged to be married to a U.S. citizen, you would be able to apply. You can travel to the U.S. and marry your partner within 90 days of arriving in the country with this visa.
You’ll be required to show that you and your partner met in person within two years of filing for your visa. The proof could include a photograph of you together, copies of your passport pages showing admission, and hotel bills as well as airline tickets that show when you traveled to the U.S. You will need to marry within the 90 days to become eligible for a green card.
Note: You need to be free and able to marry your partner. This means that if you were married previously, your divorce needs to be finalized. You cannot have committed crimes that would bar you from entering the U.S.
If your K-1 visa is approved, you will need to go to the U.S. within six months. Once you’re here, that’s when the 90 days to get married will begin.
Applying for a K-1 Visa
Your fiancé(e) will need to file Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), with the USCIS office that’s closest to you in Florida. Use this Find a USCIS Office tool to figure out where to file.
Once your partner receives a letter from the National Visa Center, then you can officially apply for your K-1 visa. If you have children, they can apply for a K-2 visa. A whole slew of documents is required, including:
- Completed Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application
- A passport that’s valid for U.S. travel
- Birth certificate
- Two 2X2 photographs
- Payment for required fees
You can find all the requirements, documents, and table of fees on the USCIS website, as well as call an immigration lawyer to help you with the process.
A Quick Note About Fraud
You cannot get engaged and/or married to a U.S. citizen simply to try and gain a visa or citizenship. You must be in a real relationship. When you go to get a green card, the authorities are going to question you about your relationship. They’re going to ask you questions about how you met, what your day-to-day life is like together, if your families like each other, and what your wedding day was like.
It’s always worth it to contact a Florida immigration attorney and seek help when applying for a K-1 visa – or any type of visa or citizenship. That way, you know you’ll be doing everything correctly and be on your way to becoming a U.S. citizen.
Contact a Florida Immigration Attorney
Do you have questions about obtaining your K-1 visa in Florida? Then contact Florida Immigration Law Counsel through our website or by calling 1-800-666-4996. We deal with the government so you don’t have to. We look forward to assisting you.
