K-2 Visa, Explained
- Filing the Initial Petition (Form I-129F). First, the U.S. citizen fiancé (e) must file Form I-129F. They need only...
- Submitting the Visa Application and Attending the Interview. Once the initial petition has been approved, USCIS will...
- Admission into the United States. If the K-1 and K-2 visa applications are approved, the consular officer...
Full Answer
How long is a K2 visa valid for?
K2 visa holders may accept employment in the U.S. by obtaining an Employment Authorization Document. The EAD can only be issued for the validity of the K2 visa, 90 days. It is currently taking USCIS 90 days or longer to process the I-765.
What is the difference between the K-1 and K-2 visa?
The K-1 visa is also known as the fiancé visa and is awarded to those who are entering the U.S. to legally marry a U.S. citizen. The K-2 visa is for children of the K-1 visa holders who wish to accompany their parent to the United States. The K-1 visa holder must legally marry a U.S. citizen within 90 days of their arrival in the U.S.
What is K2 visa fee?
The K-2 has several costs attached to it including:
- The I-129F filing fee of $535
- A possible biometrics fee of $85
- A possible fee from the embassy of $265
Can a K2 visa holder get married?
Limitations of a K-2 Visa holder. 1. He/she is not eligible to change to any other non-immigrant visa status. 2. Just like your fiance(e), children are only allowed to stay in the US up to 90 days as a K-2 Visa holder (unless, of course, you get married to your fiance(e) and file the AOS). 3.
How much does K2 visa cost?
The K-2 has several costs attached to it including: The I-129F filing fee of $535. A possible biometrics fee of $85. A possible fee from the embassy of $265.
Who qualifies for a K2 visa?
To be eligible for the K2 visa, the applicant must be the child of a K1 visa holder. The applicant must be under the age of 21 and unmarried. In other words, one of the parents should be a US citizen who is intending to marry a foreigner and the foreign parent must have an approved K1 visa.
How do I apply for K2?
The processing for obtaining a K-2 visa can be broken down into 4 basic steps:Filing the Initial Petition (Form I-129F) First, the U.S. citizen fiancé(e) must file Form I-129F. ... Submitting the Visa Application and Attending the Interview. ... Admission into the United States. ... Get Married and Adjust Status.
Can a K2 visa be denied?
Immigration services could reject or deny your fiancé(e) visa if you can not prove you plan to marry within 90 days after your intended marriage partner arrives in the United States. First, you must sign a statement of your intention to marry within three months.
Which is better K1 or k2 visa?
The K-1 visa is also known as the fiancé visa and is awarded to those who are entering the U.S. to legally marry a U.S. citizen. The K-2 visa is for children of the K-1 visa holders who wish to accompany their parent to the United States.
When can a k2 apply for citizenship?
5 yearsIf you came to the U.S. on a K-2 visa, you may apply for citizenship 5 years after your Adjustment of Status is approved. However, depending on your age when your K-1 parent married & became a U.S. citizen, you may be granted citizenship automatically.
What is K2 form?
Form K2 - Application for registration of a Land Charge of Class F.
What is Kanyashree K2?
Kanyashree Prakalpa (KP), introduced by Government of West Bengal in 2012 is a unique Conditional Cash Transfer scheme which targets adolescent girls aged 13-19 years and offers a two-tier scholarship of an annual Rs 500 for continuing education (K1) and a one-time payment of Rs 25,000 on completion of 18, conditional ...
Which is faster fiancé or marriage visa?
If the goal is for the couple to be together in the U.S. as soon as possible, the K-1 visa is most likely the fast path. From the date of filing to the date of admission to the U.S., it will take approximately 5-10 months on a K-1 fiancé visa. On the other hand, the marriage visa may take 10-16 months.
Can my girlfriend sponsor me in USA?
You cannot sponsor your significant other to live with you, only visit. At the moment there isn't an unmarried partner visa available. Your partner should be your legal spouse or your fiancé. As a general rule, you will have to complete an I-130 Form (Petition for Alien Relative).
How much money do you have to make to sponsor a K-1 visa?
In dollars and cents, this means that you must have stable earnings of at least $16,910 per year for a two-person household (in 2019) to qualify as financial sponsor for a fiancé(e) visa petition, and you must have stable earnings of at least $21,137 per year for a two-person household to qualify as financial sponsor ...
Which is better K1 or K3 visa?
K1 Fiance Visas are generally preferred (over the Marriage Visa and K3 Marriage Visa) as the visa of choice for engaged international couples as they are considered the easiest, quickest, and least expensive route.
What are the requirements for K-1 visa?
To apply for a K-1 visa, the foreign partner must live outside of the United States, be legally free and able to marry, have met the U.S. citizen partner in person within the last two years, and not have been convicted of serious crimes.
What is K3 visa for USA?
What is a K-3 Visa? The K-3 visa allows the spouse of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States with temporary legal status while waiting to obtain permanent residence (a “green card”). Practically speaking, however, the K-3 visa is almost always unnecessary compared with better alternatives.
How does the fiancé visa work?
Overview: What Is a K-1 Visa? The fiancé(e) K-1 nonimmigrant visa is for the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) of a United States (U.S.) citizen. The K-1 visa permits the foreign-citizen fiancé(e) to travel to the United States and marry his or her U.S. citizen sponsor within 90 days of arrival.
What are the benefits of holding a K2 Visa?
There are a number of benefits for K2 visa holders. If a child is eligible, their K2 visa will be approved at the same time as their parents K1 vis...
How long until I receive a decision for my K2 Visa?
Generally, it will take around 4-6 months to receive a decision. However, this is reliant on you providing accurate information and documents in yo...
How can Total Law help me?
At Total Law, we are experts in helping clients obtain K2 Visas and look forward to helping you with your case. It is important, especially in marr...
Who’S Eligible For A K2 Visa?
The main eligibility criteria for a K2 Visa child is that he/she must be under 21 and unmarried. The child can be biological, adopted, stepchildren...
K2 Visa Application Process
Normally, children of the K-1 Parent are counted under the same application process. You (as the US citizen) need to include the names of the child...
Limitations of A K-2 Visa Holder
1. He/she is not eligible to change to any other non-immigrant visa status.2. Just like your fiance(e), the children are only allowed to stay in th...
Frequently Asked Questions About K2 Visa
Question 1: Can K-2 Child apply for an adjustment of status (I-485)?The K-2 applicant is eligible to file the Adjustment of Status (AOS), depending...
What is a K-2 visa?
A K-2 Visa grants the child/children of your fiance immigration rights to the US, provided they are under 21 when you filed for your I-129F petition (to the USCIS).
Who is eligible for a K-2 Visa?
The main eligibility criteria for a K-2 Visa child is that he/she must be under 21 and unmarried. The child can be biological, adopted, stepchildren, or out of wedlock. But, there are certain things you must understand when you file.
What form do you use to include children on a K-2 visa?
First, you (the US citizen) must include the names of the children on Question 39 in the form I-129F. This tells the USCIS and US Consulate that you have K-2 visa beneficiaries.
How long does a K-2 visa last?
They must go through the same process as the K-1 when arriving. The K-2 visa process allows the child up to 1 year maximum before the visa expires. This is known as “ Follow to join “.
How old do you have to be to get a K-2 visa?
To qualify for a K-2 Visa, the child must be a less than 21 years old and unmarried. He/she must be a child be of your K-1 fiance (e) though they are exceptions (i.e. adopted child, stepchildren, or from wedlock) in the application process.
How much does a K-1 exam cost?
Exams are held the same time with K-1 parents during the same appointment and the cost can be $200 USD per person.
Do you pay K1 and K2 visa fees together?
In other words, when you’re completing your applications for your K1 visa, K2 visa fees will be paid together.
What is a K2 Visa?
This visa is designed to allow your fiancé (e)’s children to accompany him or her when they enter the U.S. During their stay in the country they will be able to study in the U.S. as well as work by applying for Employment Authorization Documents or completing form I-765.
How old do you have to be to get a K-1 visa?
Children over 14 years old will be required to accompany their parent to his or her K-1 visa interview at the U.S. consulate or embassy. They will be asked questions to help the immigration officer determine if the engagement is legitimate or a ploy to enter the U.S. under false pretenses.
What age can you get a CSPA visa?
CSPA Limitations. The USCIS defines children as being under the age of 21 and only dependents under the age cap can benefit from visas for dependents. The Child Status Protection Act (CSPA) was created to allow applicants that qualified as children to retain their status as “children” after they age out.
How old do you have to be to file a dependent K1?
The dependent must simply be the unmarried child of a K1 applicant that is not yet 21 years old at the time of filing. The child should be clear of any criminal charges or past immigration violations. They should also be seeking lawful permanent resident status in the U.S.
Can a K1 visa allow dependents to enter the US?
People applying for K1 status often find it necessary to bring dependents to the U.S. as well. With the K2 visa, the children of your fiancé (e) can legally enter the country and share the benefits of having a nonimmigrant visa.
Can a dependent be a K2?
However, because the K2 visa does not require a separate petition, dependents may not be protected by this act. Should the fiancé (e)’s child turn 21 during his or her parent’s visa processing period, they may not be eligible for K2 status. The regulations in this area are murky and guidance from an immigration attorney should be sought for all issues regarding this.
Do I need to fill out an I-129F?
In most cases, your fiancé (e)’s child will not require a separate petition. Instead, you just need to fill out the I-129F with the names of your fiancé (e)’s children included.
What is a K2 Visa?
The K2 visa is a non-immigrant visa that can be used by the children of a K1 fiancé (e) visa holder to enter the United States territory until an immigration visa is granted for them. As the child acquires his immigrant status through the parent, this type of visa is known as a derivative visa.
Who is Eligible for a K2 Visa?
To be eligible for the K2 visa, the applicant must be the child of a K1 visa holder. The applicant must be under the age of 21 and unmarried. In other words, one of the parents should be a US citizen who is intending to marry a foreigner and the foreign parent must have an approved K1 visa.
What Documents are required for a K2 Visa?
As stated above, a K2 visa is a derivative visa which is granted through the parent’s fiancé (e)’s K1 visa petition. That’s why it is mandated to include the name (s) of the children on the parent’s I-129F petition (Petition for Alien Fiancé).
What Restrictions Are on K2 Visa Holders?
Once you obtain a K2 visa, you are not allowed to change to another non-immigrant visa status. The applicant is also restricted from entering the United States if there is any previous immigration violations.
How Much Does a K2 Visa Cost?
The overall fee structure for K2 visa can be broken down to three segments – Form I-129F filing fee, biometrics charges, and Embassy fee. Listed below are the current charges for each of these three categories:
How to schedule a visa interview?
After getting the correspondence, you can schedule the visa interview at a convenient date on the official website.
Where is the F-129F sent to?
After the Petition for Alien Fiancé (Form F-129F) filed by the US citizen parent gets approved by the USCIS, it is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) for further processing. NVC subsequently sends it to the concerned US Embassy or Consulate where the applicant resides.
How old do you have to be to get a K-2 visa?
A K-2 visa permits children of a K-1 fiance visa holder to enter into the United States until an immigrant visa is available to them. In order to be eligible for one of these nonimmigrant visas, the applicant must be under the age of 21 and be an unmarried child of the K-1 applicant.
How long does it take to get an I-129F?
On average, however, the I-129F takes between four and six months to process.
How long does it take to get an immigrant visa?
This means that, as long as you and your U.S. citizen fiancé (e) are married within 90 days of your arrival in the U.S., an immigrant visa number will be available right away without having to mess with priority dates. To apply, you need to file an I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. This can take about six months to process and premium processing is not available. You need to file an application for you and for each one of your K-2 children.
How long does it take to get a green card if you are unmarried?
You will instead be eligible for the F1 green card. However, this visa is subject to priority date waiting times, which can be up to several years depending on your country of origin.
When will I get my marriage green card?
Once your I-485 is approved, you will become a legal permanent resident and your marriage-based green card will be mailed to you along with green cards for your K-2 children in the following six months.
Do you have to wait until your priority date to get a green card?
Unlike other family-based green cards (such as the F1 or F2), which require you to wait until your priority date is considered current before filing to adjust your status , the USCIS states that “immigrant visas for immediate relatives of U.S. citizens are always immediately available”.
Can a child get a K-2 visa if they are unmarried?
Again, for the child to qualify for the K-2 visa, he/she is required to be unmarried.
How long does it take to get a K2 visa?
The time limit to follow up and actually file for a K2 visa must be within 1 year after a K1 parent gets their visa. This means you must initiate the medical exam, interview, filing, fees, etc. ahead of time before the expiration date so that you don’t miss the 1-year mark.
How old do you have to be to get a K2 visa?
The same criteria apply to K2 applicants as they do to K1 applicants. They go through medical exams, police clearance, interview, etc. Children must be under 21 years old when the K2 visa is issued and still unmarried. Having an interview or not is dependent on the consulate’s procedures.
What questions to ask in a follow to join interview?
Examples of the usual questions are: do you know who your parent is going to marry? Have you met him/her ? The “follow to join” situation may require the Consular office to ask, “why did you stay behind?”
How long is a K1 visa valid?
Remember that the K1 and K2 visas are valid for up to six (6) months. Children can use a K2 visa anytime after you arrive (within the 6 months).
How old do you have to be to get a follow to join visa?
The main criteria are for the children of K1 visa parents to be unmarried and remain under 21 years old.
Can I apply for a K2 visa if I didn't list my children in the I-129F?
If you didn’t list the children in the I-129F as “children of fiance (e)”, then it might present a problem when you apply for a K2 visa. You will need to contact the US Embassy to ask for directions. You may still apply for a K2 visa but the Embassy will question why you didn’t include them in the original petition. They might ask for further documentation to prove you are indeed the parent. Normally, children will be capable of applying for the K2, but not without heavy review.
Can a child apply for a K2 visa after marriage?
Children can still apply for a K2 visa even after their K1 parent has married to the US Citizen and filed for an Adjustment of Status (AOS). As long as all the other requirements are fulfilled. 2. Eligible for a K2 Visa. The same criteria apply to K2 applicants as they do to K1 applicants.