Future Spouse Visa (K-1)
A path to the U.S. for the fiancé of a U.S. citizen — built around a single requirement: getting married within 90 days.
K-1 vs. K-3 — two different starting points
The K visa category covers two related but distinct situations. The K-1 is for the fiancé of a U.S. citizen who is still living abroad and wants to come to the U.S. specifically to get married. The K-3, by contrast, is for someone who's already married to a U.S. citizen and is waiting on their permanent residency application — it's a way to reunite the couple sooner while that process is still pending. Minor children can come along too, through a K-2 for a fiancé's children or a K-4 for a spouse's children.
How the K-1 process works
To use the K-1, the foreign fiancé has to be outside the U.S. at the time of filing. The U.S. citizen partner is the one who kicks off the process, filing the petition from within the U.S. Once that's approved, the consulate covering the fiancé's location is notified, an interview is typically scheduled, and the visa is issued from there — at which point the fiancé can travel to the U.S.
The 90-day period begins upon the fiancé's entry into the United States, within which the marriage must be solemnized. Should this deadline pass without marriage, departure from the United States is required; remaining beyond this period constitutes a violation of immigration law and may adversely affect eligibility for future immigration benefits. Upon marriage, the foreign spouse becomes eligible to apply for adjustment of status to lawful permanent residence.
Worth knowing: The 90-day marriage window on a K-1 is a hard deadline with no extensions. If a wedding date isn't realistic within that window once the fiancé arrives, it's worth talking through timing before the visa is even filed.