Not sure how to apply for a K1 Visa? Use this article to your advantage. These best practices will help you get your K1 Visa approved quickly.
What is a K1 Visa?
If you’re thinking about moving to the United States as a fiance and getting married, you’ll need a K1 Visa!
So what exactly is a K1 Visa? I hear you ask. Well, a K1 Visa is a document the United States government has put in place to allow foreign fiance’s move to the US to be married.
Here are the key pieces of information:
- The K1 visa gives permission for a fiance who is a foreign citizen to travel to the United States and get married to his or her US citizen sponsor within 90 days of arrival.
- You and your fiance must both be legally free to marry, all previous marriages must have been legally terminated.
- You and your fiance must have met in person once in the 2 year period before filing the petition.
- Once married, the foreign citizen can then apply for permanent residency (LPR) which will update their status in the United States.
- If you have children eligible for immigration, they can apply for a K2 Visa.
All in all, you just need to make a successful K1 application to be able to marry your US citizen sponsor and then be able to apply for permanent residency.
What is the K1 Visa Process?
When applying for a K1 Visa, there are a few steps that you need to complete to be able to submit a compliant application.
Step 1 Petition Filing
- This step must be completed by your US citizen sponsor.
- Your US citizen sponsor must complete Form I-129F with the USCIS office that operates in the area they live.
- Once approved by the USCIS office, your petition will be sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). You will receive a case number from the NVC. You can now send your petition to the US embassy or consulate where your fiance lives.
Step 2: K1 Visa Application
- You will receive a letter from the NVC informing you that it has sent your fiance’s case to the US embassy or consulate in their country.
- Once you receive the letter, let your fiance know they can apply and prepare for an interview.
- Eligible children can apply for K2 Visas if necessary.
- K1 Visa fees must be paid when the application is made.
What are the K1 Visa Requirements?
When you apply for a K1 Visa, there are some requirements that are necessary to make a compliant application. The required documents must be brought to your interview.
Documentation Requirements:
- A Completed Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application. You must complete Form DS-160 and print the DS-160 confirmation page to bring to your interview. You must do the same for any eligible children who are applying for a K2 Visa.
- A valid Passport that can be used for travel to the United States and doesn’t expire 6 months beyond your stay in the United States unless otherwise exempted.
- A Birth certificate.
- Divorce or death certificates of any previous spouses for you and your U.S. citizen sponsor
- Police certificates from your current country of residence and countries where you have lived for 6 months or more since 16 years of age. You must also provide certificates for any children that are 16 years of age or older.
- Medical examination
- Evidence of financial support, both Form I-134 and Affidavit of Support might be requested from you.
- Two 2 inch x 2 inch photographs should be provided. They must be compliant with United States Passport standards. (check below for details)
- Evidence of relationship with your U.S. citizen fiance
- Payment of the K1 Visa fees
Make sure that you translate documents that are in a foreign language into English.
K1 Visa Passport Photo Specifics
When taking a photo for your K1 Visa, make sure to follow these guidelines for your photo to be compliant with the United States government’s requirements.
Photo Quality:
- If you take your own photo, the photo must be sharp with no visible pixels or printing errors.
Your Appearance:
- Ensure your face is entirely visible in the photo
- No deep shadows or glaring lights should obscure your face
- Head coverings and hats are forbidden except for medical or religious reasons
Your Posture:
- Keep a neutral expression for the photo
- Face the camera directly on and center yourself in the frame
- Make sure your eyes are clearly visible
When you’re using the online application upload service: Your photo
- Must be in JPEG (.jpg) format
- File size must be equal to or less than 240 kilobytes
- Must be in a square aspect ratio, so the height and width are the same
- Photo must be 600×600 pixels in dimension
If you scan a physical photo for online upload:
- Your photo must be 2 inches x 2 inches
- Make sure the scan resolution is 300 pixels per inch or 12 pixels per millimeter
There’s a lot to take in here! If you need an easy way of getting a K1 Visa photo, look no further than ‘Smartphone iD’.
It’s really simple to use, just download ‘Smartphone iD’ and follow the steps at the bottom of the page. You’ll get pre-approved photos by experts in no time, we also guarantee approval or your money back.
Processing Times for a K1 Visa
Generally, depending on the circumstance, the processing time for the K1 Visa will vary. However, if you follow all the guidelines, including an approved photo, your application will be sped up.
Sometimes, your application can be delayed for extra administrative processing. This can happen after your interview.
Generally, there’s no set time frame for K1 Visa approval, but at the moment it averages around 6 months. Just make sure to do all the right things to get yours approved as soon as possible.
If you want a fully compliant photo from the comfort of your home, try ‘Smartphone iD’. With expert-approved K1 Visa photos, you’re bound to speed up the K1 Visa application processing time.
What is a K1 Visa Work Permit?
With the K1 Visa, you can live in the United States. However, if you want to work in the United States you need to apply for an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) using Form I-765. The EAD is a card that you can use to get a social security number allowing you to apply for work in the United States.
How Much is the K1 Visa Price?
There are a few different costs when you apply for a K1 Visa.
- US Citizen Sponsor petition Fee: When your US citizen sponsor files a petition, there is a fee of $535 USD which must be paid when filed.
- Consulate Processing Fee: When you attend the interview for your application, you will have to pay a fee for the application to have been process which is $265 USD.
- Medical Examination Fee: Depending on which country you originate from, the medical examination can vary in cost. It can be between $60-$300 USD.
- Document Translation Fees: Remember that if you need documents to be translated into English, you will have to pay fees for that.
It’s important to make sure you get your application right the first time, as you don’t want to have delays.
Part of this is making sure you have a compliant K1 Visa photo.
Use ‘Smartphone iD’, a professional, secure document photo service. Scroll to the bottom to find out more.
How to Apply for a K1 Fiance Visa?
To apply, you need to file an I-129F Form, Petition for Alien Fiance. You have to file this form with your local USCIS office. Scroll up to the ‘What is the K1 Visa Process?’ section to find out the details.
Why Might a K1 Visa Get Denied?
It’s really important to follow all the guidelines that the US government sets out for applying for a K1 Visa. If you don’t, your application could be in jeopardy of refusal or long delays.
Reasons Why Your K1 Visa Got Denied:
- Incorrect filling out of forms
- Incorrect translation of documents
- Failing to pay fees on time
- Non-compliant K1 Visa photo
Don’t waste your own time with your application. Use our clever app ‘Smartphone iD’ for taking your K1 Visa photos.
We use dual certification with artificial intelligence and biometrics experts for guaranteed approval of your photos or we’ll give you a full refund.
Scroll to the bottom for more details.
How to Get a K1 Visa Fast?
The best way to make your application fast is by making sure all your documents and photos are compliant with the United States government’s guidelines.
The easiest thing you can do right now to speed up the process is to take a professional, compliant photo.
You can do this by:
- Downloading ‘Smartphone iD’
- Taking a photo guided through our app
- Receive expert-approved photos by email or printed copies through mail on high-grade photographic paper
- Get government approval for your photos or your money back
Take Your K1 Visa Photo With Your Phone
Taking a K1 Visa photo with your phone is so easy! Not only can you get them incredibly fast through email, but the photos are cheap and guaranteed for government approval.
Use these steps to get the perfect photo:
- Download ‘Smartphone iD’ on compatible phones, available on iOS and Android
- Take a photo using the app, ‘Smartphone iD’ will guide you through the process
- Select which country you want to produce a photo for
- Select which document type you want the photo for (Passport, driving license, visa etc.)
- Receive photos digitally via email, as soon as our experts approve them
- Use these digital copies to print them yourself. Or, you can use our printing service, to make it even easier
Summary
You’re probably a bit overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you need to do for your K1 Visa application. We understand!
‘Smartphone iD’ is designed for people like you. You need a quick, professional K1 Visa photo. That’s no problem. Use our advanced AI and biometrics experts for a 100% guarantee of government approval on your K1 Visa photo.
FAQ
How many photos do I need for K1 Visa?
If you’re accepted for a K1 Visa interview, you’ll need to bring two identical compliant photos. Scroll up to the photo requirements section to find out how to make your photo compliant.
How many K1 Visas are approved each year?
It varies from year to year, in 2011 the figure was at 24,000 approved K1 Visas, reaching a peak in 2016 at 37,000. However, the figure tends to stay around 20,000-40,000 approved each year.
What is the minimum income for K-1 Visa?
In general, your United States citizen sponsor must have stable gross earnings of $16,910 USD after deductions to sponsor a fiance petition. You must have stable gross earnings of $21,775 USD per year after deductions to apply for permanent residence.
Which is faster fiancé Visa or spouse?
To complete your fiance Visa petition takes around 6 months and then 10 and a half months to get permanent residency.For a spouse Visa, you can complete the IR-1 Form, CR-1 Form or apply for a K-3 Visa. This will take around 10 months to get approved.
What country has the most K-1 Visas?
In 2017 the Philippines had the most approved K-1 Visas at 6,909 out of 35,000 applicants. Mainly, K-1 Visa holders are from East Asia and Southeast Asia.
