US citizens who plan to bring their Filipino fianc?/fianc?e to the USA with the intention of getting married within 90 days from the date of arrival, a K1 fianc?e visa must be applied for. The K1 visa for fianc?/fianc?e is a non-immigrant visa that will allow the holder to immigrate in the US, marry the American citizen, and adjust status to become a permanent resident once the marriage is legally registered. The visa holder is also allowed to seek employment once the adjustment of status application is approved. Moreover, should K1 visa applicant wishes to bring his/her child/children (if any) to the US, a K2 visa (K3 visa derivative) can be applied for provided that the child is unmarried and below 21 years old.
Generally, the petitioner (American) and the beneficiary (Filipino) must have met each other in person within the past two years of relationship. The intention to marry each other once in the US must be proven unfeigned by providing supporting documents as evidence of relationship (e.g. photos together, email/chat correspondence, plane tickets, receipts of money transfers, phone bills and etc).
To apply for a K1 Visa for Filipino fianc?/fianc?e, the petitioner must first file the I-129F petition at the United States Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) service centers. There are two of them in the US located at Vermont and California. Although K1 visa is considered as non-immigrant, the same civil and financial documents required in applying for an immigrant visa must be complied, due to the reason that the K1 visa will permit the holder to migrate in the country.
Once the USCIS petition gets approved, it will be forwarded to the National Visa Center (NVC) for processing. The NVC will later send the case to the Consular Section of the US Embassy in Manila where the beneficiary will apply for the K1 visa for fianc?/fianc?e.
To complete the K1 visa application, the beneficiary must proceed to the US Embassy in Manila Philippines, particularly its consular section, for further advise regarding additional requirements and documentation. Instructions provided by the embassy must be followed carefully such as forms needed to be completed, to where the medical examination must be taken and the interview schedule.
In answering interview questions, be honest and consistent. The result of the K1 Visa Philippines application is often given on the same day the interview is conducted, should the officer be convinced that the intention and purpose of travel to the US is genuine. This is when the consular officer decides whether the applicant will be allowed to travel to the United States or not.
Jose Darrel Bella works as a Consultant for Siam Legal International, Thailand's largest legal service network with offices in Bangkok, Manila, London, Los Angeles, Phuket, Samui, Pattaya, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin. Contact Manila Visa, a division of Siam Legal International at +66 (0) 253 8100 or info@manilavisa.com to learn more about K1 Visa Philippines and US Visa Philippines.