Have you fallen in love with someone from another country? Are you excited but confused about where to begin the next steps for you to be able to start your lives together in the United States?

The immigration process for couples is different, depending on what type of relationship you have. If you are engaged to a United States citizen, then a fiancé visa might be the path for you. A fiancé visa is often referred to as a K1 by itself. A fiancé visa has four general requirements.

The first requirement is that the petitioner must be a United States citizen and the petitioner is the one filing the application to bring the fiancé to the United States.

The second requirement is that you both have an intention to get married within 90 days of entering the United States on a K1 fiancé visa.

The third requirement is that you have to both be legally free to marry. What this means is that you aren’t married to someone else. Any prior marriages have to have been formally terminated in a divorce, an annulment, or death. You have to both be legally free to marriage marry each other.

The final requirement is that both of you have had to have met in person within the two years prior to filing the application. There are some limited exceptions for couples for cultural and social reasons that you could receive a waiver for that requirement. But in general, you have to have physically met in person in the two years prior to filing the application.

We have a very detailed resource center where you can find even more information about fiancé visas. You can also download a checklist of the steps that are involved in the fiancé visa process.

See More: Complimentary Resource Center