Who is eligible for a fiancé(e) visa?
To be eligible for a fiancé visa, the following criteria must be met:
- one of the fiancés must be a U.S. citizen;
- both fiancés must be legally able to marry;
- the marriage must take place within 90 days of the fiancé entering the United States on a fiancé visa.
How to apply for a fiancé(e) visa?
To begin the fiancé(e) visa application process, a U.S. citizen must file a petition on Form I-129F with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office that has jurisdiction over his or her place of residence in the United States. The petition cannot be filed at the Embassy. More details and instructions on how to file a petition can be found at the link below.
Children under the age of 21 may benefit from a petition filed on behalf of their parent; their names should be listed on the petition. If a U.S. citizen is the biological father of the child, the child may be eligible for U.S. citizenship and a U.S. passport.
Next Steps
An approved petition is sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) at the Department of State in New Hampshire for additional processing. The petition is then sent to the Embassy or Consulate responsible for the place of residence of the fiancé(e) applying for a fiancé(e) visa.
The processing time varies and depends on individual circumstances. When filing the petition, Form I-129F, the fiancé(e) will be informed of the time required for its approval.
Scheduling an interview at the embassy
After receiving an approved petition, the Embassy sends a letter to the visa applicant informing them of the possibility of scheduling an official interview with the consul at the Embassy. In this letter, the Immigration Visa Section also provides information about:
- mandatory medical examinations;
- required documents, including a certificate of no criminal record (in addition to a certificate from your current country of residence, you must also provide certificates of no criminal record from all countries where you have lived for 6 months or longer after reaching the age of 16);
- About the necessary registration on the UsTravelDocs website for payment and appointment scheduling. More information provided below.
- Completed DS-160 application form. You must print out the confirmation of your DS-160 submission and bring it with you to the Embassy on the day of your interview with the consular officer.
Can I work in the United States?
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may grant a fiancé(e) visa holder permission to work in the U.S. before they get married. To obtain a work permit, you must file Form I-765 with the USCIS office that has jurisdiction over your intended place of residence in the United States. Questions regarding employment opportunities in the United States should be directed to USCIS.
Required documents
The list of documents required for the interview is available at this link:
OBLIGATORY REGISTRATION WITH USTRAVELDOCS.COM FOR ALL IMMIGRANT VISA APPLICANTS
All Immigrant Visa (IV), Diversity Visa (DV), and Fiancé (K) visa applicants must register with ustraveldocs.com and choose a visa pick-up option before coming to the Embassy.
We will not be able to accept your visa applications and supporting documents without proof of your registration (we will need your Unique Identification number, or UID). For registration and selection of a passport and visa pick-up option, visit www.ustraveldocs.com/pl or call the information line at +48 22 307 1361 (in Europe) or (703) 988 7101 (in the United States). Passports and visas are returned by courier; applicants may choose either Premium Delivery (for an additional fee to your selected location in Poland) or, at no additional charge after registration, Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) location in Warsaw.
The Consular Section at U.S. Embassy Warsaw generally requires at least 3-5 business days to process a visa once it has been approved. During this time, the applicant’s passport must remain at the Consular Section. Please also be aware that technical and procedural concerns may require longer than the normal 3-5 days following interview to complete processing of the case. Applicants should plan accordingly when making travel plans. Please see which documents are required to pick up passports from an MBE location. DO NOT visit MBE until you are notified that they have your passport ready for pick-up.
We encourage applicants not to finalize travel plans until they receive their visa and documents from the Embassy. The visa packet is a sealed big envelope containing documents, with the visa information printout attached to it. Please do not open the visa packet.
Case status
At the end of your immigrant visa interview, the consular officer will inform you whether your visa application is approved or denied.
Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the visa interview. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case. You can check the status of your visa application here.
If your visa has been denied, you may find useful information on Ineligibilities and Waivers.
Visa Navigator
If you have additional questions or would like to contact us, please use our Navigator. It contains answers to frequently asked questions as well as contact information.