One
of the most important principles in U.S. immigration
law is family unification. The K-1 visa is
one way that you can be united with your fiancé(e)
who is an American citizen, and you can eventually
obtain a "green card",
which permits you to reside permanently in the
U.S.
We assist U.S. citizen and foreign fiancées become
united in the United States along with
their dependent family members through use of
the K-1 visa. We prepare the paperwork,
guide them through the ever-changing rules, regulations
and definitions, coordinate matters with the
U.S. government and Embassy abroad, and represent
the parties before the INS and U.S. Department
of State, as necessary. We guide
the parties through the initial visa stage, which
must be followed up with a residency application,
and see the couple through to the stage of Legal
Permanent Residence in the United States, obtaining
authorization for the foreign spouse to work
and travel while the lengthy process of Permanent
Residence winds its way through the U.S. immigration
process.
The
K-1 Visa is outlined below.
The K
-1 Visa is
available to an individual who intends to marry
a U.S. citizen. Although the K-1 visa is a nonimmigrant
visa, in most cases it should be understood as
a visa that is obtained as the first step toward
Legal Permanent Residence in the United States.
K -1
Visa Privileges:
- You
and your children under 21 years of age
may come to the U.S. in order to marry a
U.S. citizen.
- You
may apply to work immediately upon entering
the U.S.
- If
your U.S. citizen fiancé (e)
is unable to travel to your home country
to marry you, the K-1 visa may be the only
solution.
- There are no quota restrictions on the K-1 visa,
and the processing times are relatively short.
K-1
Visa Prerequisites and Restrictions:
- You
must have a genuine intention to get married
to the U.S. citizen petitioner to obtain the
visa.
- Both
parties must be legally able to marry, that
is, of legal age, and with any prior marriages
having been officially terminated.
- The
couple must have met and seen each other within
the past two years, unless their religion forbids
meeting before marrying, or if meeting would
cause an exceptional hardship.
- You
must marry your U.S. citizen petitioner within
90 days after you enter the U.S.
- You
must apply for Legal Permanent Residence
("green card") after you get married if you
want to stay in the U.S.
- A
K-1 visa expires after 90 days, and cannot
be extended beyond that period under any circumstances.
- If you fail to marry within 90 days of your arrival,
you may be required to leave the U.S.
CONTACT
US: jgagel@jgagel.com
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