Couples who get engaged in the Grand Canyon State when one fiancé is not a resident of the United States have extra steps to go through to get married. In order for the future spouse to be an American citizen and live in Arizona, the American spouse must obtain a special visa called a K-1 or “fiancé” visa. 

A fiancé visa allows the engaged partner of a U.S. citizen to enter the States on the condition that the couple will be married within 90 days of being granted approval to enter the U.S. 

Once the K-1 visa is issued and the couple are legally married within 90 days of receiving the fiancé visa, the newly married non-citizen can then apply for permanent residence, aka a green card. 

To obtain a K-1 visa, applicants must fill out Form I-129F, which is formerly called the Petition for Alien Fiancé. 

According to Boundless, a newsletter for immigrants, the approximate cost of a K-1 visa is $1000 and may take over eight months for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to process the I-129F form and alert the petitioner for further instructions. 

However, in some instances, it may be more beneficial to skip the K-1 visa process and instead apply for permanent residency based on marriage. 

If you or a loved one are attempting to qualify for a fiancé visa, an experienced immigration attorney in Arizona can expedite and protect your application, increasing your chances of success. The best Arizona immigration attorneys will also be able to inform you if it makes sense for your fiancé to obtain a K-1 visa or just apply for a green card.

Furthermore, only the most experienced immigration attorneys in Arizona have the knowledge to represent you or your spouse in the best possible way and know how to efficiently navigate the bureaucracy of the filing process—making the process painless. 

The best way to find an immigration attorney in Arizona is with Attorney at Law.

At AAL, our network of attorneys and law firms in Arizona allows us to match you with the best attorney in your area. 

In addition to experience and resources, we also choose our partners based on empathy. That is why our partners are not only rated highly in professionalism, but also in client care and satisfaction.

Don’t wait. Contact AAL today for a free, no-obligation consultation and begin your journey to citizenship.