Category: Visas-Status

K1 visa document file

Apply for the K1 visa

You can start your K1 visa application after the approval of Form I-129F. This must be completed by the foreign citizen in a US Embassy or Consulate in their country of residence.

Complete Form DS-160

Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application is used for US nonimmigrant visas and in this case for the K1 visa too. The form will inquire on your personal information as well as reasons why you are planning to go to the US. When you submit it, you will get a confirmation page and code.

Schedule the US Fiance visa interview

Your visa interview will be conducted if you are between 14 and 79 years old. To complete the interview, you must first schedule it. You must schedule it as soon as possible due to the fact that you might have to wait too long if the Embassy or Consulate you are applying from has a high workload. When you schedule the interview, you will get an interview schedule letter.

Complete medical examinations

No matter your age, if you are traveling to the US and especially planning to apply for a US immigrant visa in the future, you must have a licensed physician conduct the necessary medical examination. The doctor must write the report stating any health issues. Since the fiancé will get married soon and apply for permanent residence, it is also advisable to get the necessary US required vaccination so as to complete that requirement.

Compile your K1 visa document file

When you go in for your interview at the US Embassy, you must present the K1 visa required documents.

Here are the documents that you should submit for a K1 visa:

Valid passport for more than 6 months after your intended stay in the US.
Two recent US visa photographs according to the Photo Requirements.
Form DS-160 confirmation page and code.
Interview schedule letter.
Approved Form I-129F.
Criminal background documents.
Divorce or death certificates in case of a previous marriage.
Evidence of the relationship with the US citizen.
Medical examination documents (and optional for vaccination documents).
Proof of payments of fees.

Attend visa interview

During the interview, you will have to show your documents as well as answer any questions that the interview officials will have. The interviewer will also ask questions about your relationship with the US citizen as well as other details about your background.

Immigration News / Info / Visas-Status

Can I Apply for a K1 Visa

What is a K1 visa?

A K1 visa is a US immigrant visa issued to the fiancé or fiancée of a US citizen to enter the United States.

The K1 visa holder will get this visa so that they can marry the US citizen within 90 days of arriving in the US. This K1 fiance visa is the first visa that a foreign citizen marrying a US citizen must have. Without having had the K1 visa, the fiancé of the US will then have difficulty adjusting the status to become a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) of the US.

The ceremony and the legal marriage certificate must be performed and submitted as proof to the Department of Homeland Security in order to initiate the permanent move of the foreign citizen in the US to join their spouse.

Can I Apply for a K1 Visa?

To be able to get the K1 visa and travel to the US to marry the US citizen, there are first a few fiancé visa criteria that you must fulfill. These requirements are in place to prevent unofficial relationships and marriages to only obtain Green Cards.

So if you want to marry your fiancé in the US, you must fulfill these eligibility criteria:

You must have proof of your relationship before the engagement.
You plan on getting married while you are in the US on a K1 visa.
The marriage will be performed according to the US laws where the marriage will be done.
You and the US citizen must have met in person at least once in the past two years (Exceptions to this requirement will be granted if you can prove that the US citizen faced extreme hardship to come and visit the foreign citizen fiancé. Extreme hardship can be proved on conditions of culture, customs, or other factors).

If you do not fulfill these conditions, you could be notified that you are ineligible for the K1 visa. There are various reasons that this could happen, and some of them might be:

Involvement in criminal activities in the past (ex. drug trafficking).
You have submitted falsified documents.
You have overstayed in the US on a previous visa or broken other visa rules.

Besides requirements for the K1 visa applicant, there are also requirements for the US citizen who intends to marry the foreign citizen, as follows:

You must be a US citizen.
You intend to marry the foreign citizen within 90 days of them entering the US.
Any previous marriages that you or your fiancé have had are legally terminated.

Immigration News / Info / O-1

Necessary Documents for O-1 visa

You must gather the necessary documents for your O1 visa application in the time between scheduling the interview and the actual date of the appointment. You will need to submit your passport, the visa fee receipt, your employment contract, the notice of decision by the USCIS, proof of your extraordinary abilities in your field, etc.

When applying for an O1 visa, you will need to collect the following documents:

A written consultation from someone with expertise on your field. It can be a peer group or a labor/management organization, as relevant to your area of expertise.
A copy of the written work contract. The contract must include a summary of the agreement under which you will be employed.
A document explaining the activities and events you will participate in. It must include the nature, start and end dates, as well as an itinerary of these activities/events.
Proof of your extraordinary abilities or achievements. For example, proof you have received an award, published articles relevant to your field, contributed original research to your field, you are a member of a highly distinguished association or organization or have been paid a high salary for your skills and contribution, etc.

Additionally, when you appear at the American Embassy for your appointment and interview, you should have the following documents with you:

Your passport. It must be valid at the time of application and six months after you intend to depart the United States.
The DS-160 Form Confirmation Page.
The interview Appointment Letter
A picture of yourself which is in line with the requirements set by the US Department of State.
The I-797 Approval Notice from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Poof you have paid the Machine Readable Visa (MRC) fee.

F-1 / Visas-Status

F1 Visa Requirements

F-1 Visa Requirements

Here are the documents required to apply for an F1 Visa:

Your valid passport.
Form DS-160 for non-immigrant visa applications.
Two photographs meeting the US Visa Photo Requirements.
Proof of paid F1 visa fee.
Form I-20. Your Form I-20 states the amount of funds you need to finance your education and living in the US. You must submit documents which prove you have that amount readily available. This can be done by submitting various documents, such as:
- Bank statements for the last 3 years
- Tax records for the last 3 years
- Pay stubs of previous employment
- If you have received a scholarship, you also need to submit proof of it
- Paying a semester’s or a year’s worth of tuition is also a good idea, but not mandatory
- If you are supported or sponsored by someone else in the US, you will need to submit Form I-134, Affidavit of Support and bank statements for the last three years of that person.
- If you are funding your US education through a loan, you must also show proof of the approved loan
Documents that prove your previous education and current qualifications:
- Original transcripts
- Standardized test scores (TOEFL, IELTS, GRE, GMAT, etc.)
- Acceptance letters from the educational institution which accepted you
- Previous degree diplomas
Proof of purchased health insurance for international students.

F1 Visa Processing Time

In most cases, you will get the response on this visa immediately after the interview. At the end of the visa interview, the interviewer might congratulate you for getting the visa or will provide you with a document letting you know the reason for denial. This is because the processing of this type of visa actually happens before your interview. The interview is the last step for the US Embassy to assess whether they should issue the visa.

There are, however, cases where the response and processing of the F1 visa takes a few days, so you should be patient if that happens.