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LAW
OFFICE OF AJAY K. ARORA
Empire State Building
350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2806
New York, NY 10118
Phone: (212)268-3580
Fax: (212)268-3582
Email: info@h1b1.com
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Disclaimer: This article
is not intended to establish an attorney-client relationship. All information
contained herein is generalized. Any reliance on information contained herein
is taken at your own risk.

K-1
FIANCE(E) VISA
The K-1 Visa
classification is available to foreign fiance(e)’s of U.S. citizens. The law requires the
parties to have "physically met" prior to filing the petition. Only U.S. citizens can file the fiance(e)
petition (Form I-129F) with the USCIS. The K2 visa allows unmarried children
(under age 21) of the fiance(e) to move to the US as well. The stepparent/stepchild
relationship must be created before the child reaches the age of 18. The child
may travel with (accompany) the K-1 parent/fiance(e) or travel later
(follow-to-join) within one year from the date of issuance of the K-1 visa to
his/her parent. A separate petition is not required if the children accompany
or follow the alien fiancé(e) within one year from the date of issuance of the
K-1 visa. If it is longer than one year from the date of visa issuance, a
separate immigrant visa petition is required.
Once the fiancé(e)
petition has been approved by the USCIS, the file is sent overseas to the
nearest U.S. consular office to the foreign
fiance(e)’s residence. The consular processing abroad can take between two and
six months. This is in addition to the 30 to 90 days it takes for the USCIS to
approve the fiancé(e) petition. Once the K-1 visa is issued by the Consulate,
the fiancé(e) has six months to enter the U.S., after which the parties have 90
days in which to get married. After marriage, the foreign spouse should
immediately file an "adjustment of status" application for permanent
resident status. The foreign spouse may also apply for Employment Authorization
Document (EAD) until the adjustment of status application (Form I-485) is
approved and "advance parole" in case he or she want to travel
outside the United States and re-enter before getting the green card (I-485
approval).
If the I-485 is approved
prior to two years after the marriage occurred, a "Conditional"
Permanent Resident status (green card) which is valid for only two years will
be issued. If the foreign spouse is interviewed and I-485 is approved two or
more years after the marriage occurred, he or she will obtain regular permanent
resident status (Green Card) with no conditions. The time it takes to approve
an I-485 depends on the nearest local USCIS office's processing timeline.
If the foreign spouse was
given “conditional permanent residency", two years from the date he or she
was granted this status an application to remove the conditions on residence
(Form I-751) must be filed with the USCIS in order to have the
"Conditional" status removed. Upon approval of the I-751, a regular
green card will be issued.
Three years after
obtaining conditional or permanent resident status, an application to apply for
naturalization (citizenship) may be filed with
the USCIS assuming that divorce or separation has not occurred.
Please contact our law firm for additional discussion of this
category and alternative options.
[Note:
Please consult with an attorney specializing in Immigration & Nationality
law for professional advice in specific situations.]

Ajay K. Arora, Esq., is a prominent member of the
Immigration & Nationality bar in New York City
and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. He may be
contacted at (212)268-3580.
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