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Marriage Visa, Spouse Visa

Love has no borders, yet countries have. A marriage visa is needed if you want your special one, who dosen't share your citizenship, to live with you.

Here we have information about the immigrant visa for a spouse or a fiance(e) of a United States citizen.

Visa for a spouse of a United States citizen.

There are two situations:

Situation 1. Immigrant visa, or IR1 visa or CR1 visa - An Immigrant Petition for Alien Relative.

In this situation, you are required to fill the form called I-130.

Situation 2. Nonimmigrant visa, or K-3 visa.

In this situation, the application for the nonimmigrant visa must be filed and the visa must be issued in the country where the marriage took place.

After the visa process has been completed, and the visa is issued, the spouse of the U.S. citizen can travel to the United States to wait for the processing of the immigrant visa case. Two petitions are required:

Petition for Alien Relative, Form 1-130; and
Petition for Alien Fiance(e), Form I-129F

Visa for Fiance(e) of a U.S. Citizen:

If you are an American citizen, you may bring your fiance(e) to the United States to get married and live in the United States. For details about how to marry your fiance(e) who is Chinese, check out here. If your fiance(e) is not Chinese, treat it as a reference case because you need to take similar steps.

The following are questions commonly asked

How Long Does it Take to Get My Spouse to the USA?

It usually takes from 5 - 12 months, however most petitions are approved in the 6-9 month range.

The CR1/K-3 Visa process is a combination of two petitions that both vary in how long they take to complete. Depending on which state you live in, you must file at a preassigned USCIS Service Center which varies on how long it takes to process applications.

My Fiance(e)/Spouse is Already Here as a Visitor/Student/Employee; Can They Stay?

When someone comes to the USA with the 'intent to marry' on anything but a K-1 visa, it can be a problem. The government regards this as a fraud and it could result in deportation. There are no shortcuts to legal immigration and the government can be extremely harsh when people try.

However, in some circumstances your fiance or spouse may be allowed to stay without returning home.