Fiancee visa to marry American citizen

How to proceed when you have met your Russian bride and decided to get married? What is the procedure of getting your future wife to the USA? This information gives some general idea how moves the process of getting a Fiancee visa to marry American citizen.

Definition of a Fiancee Visa.

The Immigration and Nationality Act provides a nonimmigrant visa classification "K-1" Fiance Visa for aliens coming to the United States to marry American citizens and reside there. K-1 Fiance Visa APPROXIMATE PROCESSING TIME is 3 to 6 months from initial filing to fiance's arrival.

Start: filing a petition.

To establish K-1 visa classification for an alien fiancee, an American citizen must file a petition, Form I-129F, Petition for Relative or Fiancee, with the United State Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) having jurisdiction over the place of the petitioner's residence in the United States. Such petitions may not be adjudicated abroad.
To begin the K-1 process, you file a petition at the USCIS office having jurisdiction over your current or intended residence in the U.S. There is a filing fee for the petition. The children of your Fiance must be listed in the petition even if they will not be traveling at this time. USCIS sets the requirements for petition approval. Petitions for K-1 visas cannot be filed or approved outside the United States. You must present the following supporting documentation with your petition:
Evidence that you are an American citizen, such as your Birth Certificate or Naturalization Certificate.
Proof of termination of any prior marriages of the petitioner and beneficiary, such as a divorce decree or death certificate.
Evidence that you have met your Fiance and evidence of your relationship, such as airline tickets, visa stamps, hotel receipts, and dated photos.
Any documents in a foreign language should be accompanied by an English translation.
This documentation confirms your identity and that of your future spouse and proves that both of you are legally free to marry.
You must prove have met your Fiance face to face during the two years prior to the filing of the petition.
USCIS will notify you when they have approved the petition and will send it the State Department, who perform a background check, and then forward it to the U.S. Embassy for final processing.
It often takes four to 12 weeks for a petition to reach the Embassy from the USCIS (then the State Department), sometimes longer.
The approved petition will be forwarded by USCIS to the American consular office where the alien fiancee will apply for his or her visa. A petition is valid for a period of four months from the date of USCIS action, and may be revalidated by the consular officer.
Note: The following applicants will be refused K-1 Fiance Visa: applicants who have a communicable disease, or have a dangerous physical or mental disorder; are drug addicts; have committed serious criminal acts, including crimes involving moral turpitude, drug trafficking, and prostitution; are likely to become a public charge; have used fraud or other illegal means to enter the United States; or are ineligible for citizenship, must be refused a visa.The two-year foreign residency requirement for former exchange visitors is also applicable. If found to be ineligible, the consular officer will advise the applicant if the law provides for a waiver.

Documents required from your future wife.

Upon receipt of an approved petition, the American consular officer will notify the beneficiary and give him or her the necessary forms and instructions to apply for a "K" visa. Since a fiancee visa applicant is an intending immigrant, he or she must meet most of the same documentary requirements of an immigrant visa applicant. In addition to the prescribed application forms, the following documents are normally required:
Valid passport
Birth certificate
Divorce or death certificate of any previous spouse
Police certificate from all places lived since age 16
Medical examination
Evidence of support
Evidence of valid relationship with the petitioner
Photographs
Both petitioner and beneficiary must be legally able and willing to conclude a valid marriage in the United States. The petitioner and beneficiary must have previously met in person within the past two years unless the Attorney General waives that requirement.

When everything is ready.

As soon as the processing of a case is completed and the applicant has all necessary documents, a consular officer will interview the fiancee. If found eligible, a visa will be issued, valid for one entry during a period of six months. A non-refundable application fee is collected at posts which issue machine-readable visas.
The marriage must take place within 90 days of admission into the United States.
Following the marriage, the alien spouse must apply to the USCIS to establish a record of entry for conditional permanent residence status. After two years, the alien may apply to the USCIS for removal of the conditional status.