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Once your K1 Fiance Visa application has been approved by USCIS, you will need to start working with the US Embassy location in the country where your fiancé lives. Every USCIS approval notice has an expiration date of 4 months. If you need more time to complete your work with the US Embassy, you can contact the Embassy and ask for further validation time.
Every Embassy around the world has its own procedures for processing K1 Fiance Visas. Some US Embassy locations work directly with the beneficiary and others use a processing center affiliated with the Embassy. Either way, you will be sent an notice and/or link for how to proceed. This may come from the Embassy or the NVC. You must wait for the Embassy or NVC to contact you before you can start working with the Embassy. At some point, you will be given the information that you will need or directed to a link that identifies the forms and documents that must be completed before you can schedule your interview. Your embassy instructions will also let you know how to pay the Embassy processing fee and where and when to have your medical exam. Once everything is completed, you can then schedule your interview.
From my experience, it takes about one month after being approved by USCIS to receive your Embassy notice and/or instructions and then another 2 months working with the Embassy to actually obtain your visa.
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The purpose of a K1 Fiance Visa is to provide a visa to the foreign finace of a US Citizen who wishes to get married. Its a benefit of US Citizenship. When processing the visa application, the US Government through The US Department of Homeland Security and the US State Department will review the application to determine the truthfulness or validity of the relationship. Dishonest relationships will be rooted out and those applications denied. The responsibility for providing proof of the relationship is on the couple applying for the visa. In determining what evidence is helpful in proving your relationship is genuine, you must consider what an honest relationship looks like. A couple in love do things together. They go places together. They talk and  share information about themselves with others. If you focus on just those basic relationship areas alone, you can come up with plenty of evidence to support your application. Here is a list of evidence that that touches upon each of those basic relationship facts:

  • Pictures
  • Facebook and Social media post
  • Phone records
  • Receipts of expenses together
  • Statements from family friends who know of the relationship
  • Examples of communications (Letters, Cards, Skype, Yahoo Messenger, etc…)

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Recently, USCIS made changes to the forms and procedures for filing an application for a CR1 Marriage Visa.
First, USCIS updated the I-130 form and it now requires far more information than the older version.  The form itself grew from 2 pages to 12. For example, the new form now requires the month/day/year for all residential and employment dates, not just the month and year.
Another significant change to the I-130 form and process can be found in the instructions to the new form under the title “Biometric Services Appointment. This new section allows USCIS, at their discretion, to require petitioners to appear for fingerprinting, interviews, photographs and criminal background checks by the FBI.  At this time, it is unclear as to when and if such additional steps will be required of the Petitioner. Rather, it appears that after filing the new I-130 form, USCIS will advise the petitioner if any additional steps must be taken.

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Many people have taken to various forms of social media to share pictures and provide information about themselves. In some cases, its used to communicate directly with another person. Unlike emails and phone calls, a record of your communications are not so easily deleted or managed for privacy.  Its important to keep this in mind when you apply for a K1 Fiance Visa or a CR1 Marriage Visa. Your pictures and statements reflect information about who you are and what you are up to.
Imagine filing for a Fiance Visa and stating that you are in love with your fiancé and yet having current pictures of a another boyfriend or girlfriend at home or pictures which strongly suggest a romantic relationship with someone else. Such information will likely be seen by USCIS or the US Embassy and in such a case could seriously compromise your credibility. If USCIS or the US Embassy does not believe you, you will not get your visa.

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Applying for a K1 Fiance Visa starts with the filing of form I-129f Petition for Alien fiancé(e).
Starting June 9, 2017, USCIS will only accept the 04/10/17 edition of the I-129f form. This new form is more extensive than the older version and requires more background information on the Petitioner and beneficiary. Failure to file the correct version of the I-129f form will lead to a rejection of your application by USCIS.
To better understand the new question, I recommend you review the instructions for this form. the instructions, as well as the new form can be found by going online at www.uscis.gov.
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US Immigration provides visas for the children of an approved fiancé when requested. These visas are known as K2 Visas. K2 visas are “derivative visas” to the K1 Fiance Visa. In plain English, visas for the children of an approved fiancé (who are not US Citizens) will automatically be issued when the K1 Fiance visa is issued for the fiancé/parent. Children who are US Citizens by birth or blood, only need a US passport.
To apply for a K2 visa, all children who need a visa to travel to the US must be listed on the Fiance’s I-129f Petition for Alien Fiance. Listing the children on the Fiancé’s I-129f form lets the Embassy know that the listed children of the fiance will be coming over with the fiancé or following shortly thereafter.
Once the initial petition is approved for the fiancé by USCIS, it will be necessary to submit a separate DS 160 form for each child who needs a visa in order to travel to the US with the Fiance.
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Effective January 27, 2017, a Trump Administration Executive Order suspended the issuance of all visas to nationals from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. This suspension includes K1 Fiance visas and CR1 Marriage visas for fiances and spouses who are nationals of these countries. At this time, it appears that the suspension is temporary until new safeguards can be implemented to make the vetting process more stringent for people wishing to come to the US from these countries. I am hopeful that new vetting procedures can be implemented within 90-120 days. This temporary suspension is intended to help protect all Americans from terrorism.

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After obtaining your K1 Fiance Visa approval from USCIS, you will need to work with the US Embassy in Manila to obtain your Fiance Visa. The US Embassy in Manila provides excellent written instructions in both Tagalog and English that you should follow to obtain your visa. You can print a copy of the instructions by going to the following link:
https://ph.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/82/2016/08/K1-and-K2-Applicant-Interview-Preparation-Instructions-08112016-English-336KB.pdf.
I recommend that you print off a copy of the instructions and then “check off” each instruction or required document as you proceed through the instructions. The instructions will provide you with a list of all requirements and documents needed to obtain your Fiance Visa. It will also provide you with the correct information to schedule your Medical Exam and Fiance Visa interview.
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Every Petitioner applying for a K1 Fiance visa must demonstrated that he or she earns at least 125% above the poverty guidelines for whatever size family they will become.
For a salaried employee, this requirement is generally met by providing a letter of employment which states what the petitioners job title and annual income is, copies of past pay stubs and a copy of their most recent Fed Tax return and W2.
For someone who is self employed, proving their true income can be more challenging. From my experience, and for good reason, self employed petitioners deduct as many expenses as they can to reduce their taxable income. This aggressive approcah to reduce taxable income can weaken a petionners standing with Immigration. For this reason, self employed petitioners should be careful not to reduce their income below the required level for Immigration purposes. Also, when their are non cash expenses such as losses carried forward and depreciation, it becomes important to point this out to Immigration. I recommend having your account prepare a letter explaining any such expenses to show a more accurate and hopefully higher level of true income. I further recommend that you prepare a letter on your company letterhead explaining what your responsibilities are within your company and what you pay yourself annually. This letter should be supported by deposits, pay stubs and of course your Federal Tax return. In lieu of a W2, you can provide a 1099.
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