Last updated: November 9, 2025.
By Asel Williams, Esq. · Columbia Law School · Licensed immigration attorney
What is Form I-129F
- Form I-129F is the first step of a K-1 visa application
- Form I-129F is officially titled “Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)”
- K-1 visa is also known as a “Fiancé(e) visa”
- U.S. citizens engaged to foreign nationals can sponsor their fiancé(e)s for a temporary K-1 visa
- K-1 visa allows foreign nationals to enter the US with the goal of getting married
- Couple must get married within 90 days after fiancé(e)’s arrival in the U.S.
Note: Lawful permanent residents (green card holders) are not allowed to file K-1 visa petitions. Instead, they must apply for a spousal visa. This category is also known as F2A (spouses of permanent residents).
How to file Form I-129F?
The process of obtaining a K-1 fiancé(e) visa consists of 3 steps:
Step 1: Filing Form I-129F with USCIS
Step 2: Filing Form DS-160 with the U.S. Department of State
Step 3: Attending interview at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate
Filing Form I-129F with USCIS
Filing Form I-129F with USCIS is the first step of any K-1 visa application.
- U.S. citizen sponsoring their foreign born fiancé(e) for a K-1 visa is called “Petitioner”
- Foreign citizen fiancé(e) applying for a visa is called “Beneficiary”
The Form I-129F requests basic personal information about both parties:
- Physical address history for the last 5 years
- Employment history for the last 5 years
- Previous marriage(s) information
- Names of any children of the foreign-national fiancé(e)
Form I-129F fiancé(e) petition and all supporting documents should be filed by the U.S. citizen fiancé(e) with USCIS.
The correct service center can be found on the USCIS I-129F page.
Always check the USCIS website for the most up-to-date filing address.
Form I-129F checklist
Each Form I-129F application must include photocopies of the following documents:
| Required evidence |
Examples of acceptable documents |
| Proof of sponsor’s U.S. citizenship | At least one of the following documents:
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| Passport-style photographs | Photographs must be taken within 30 days prior to the date of filing of Form I-129F:
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| Termination of previous marriage(s) | If U.S. citizen and/or fiancé(e) have been previously married:
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| Legal name change | If U.S. citizen and/or fiancé(e) changed their names:
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| Proof of meeting within the past 2 years | USCIS and consular officials expect submission of a significant amount of evidence accompanying K visa applicants, so the couple must provide as much evidence as possible for their petition to be approved.
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| Letter of intent to marry | Both U.S. citizen and fiancé(e) must submit notarized Letters of Intent to Marry. Sample letter:
Statement of Petitioner’s/Beneficiary’s Intent to Marry May 17, 2024 Joseph Brown United States Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Re: Petitioner’s/Beneficiary’s Statement of Intent to Marry Dear USCIS, I, Joseph Brown, became engaged to marry Vanessa Young on January 18, 2024. I hereby state that I am legally able and willing to marry Vanessa Young and intend to do so within 90 days of her arrival into the United States using the K-1 Visa. Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Sworn before me __________ on this day of , 2024. Notary Public’s Signature |
| Certified English translation |
|
Form I-129F filing fee
The current Form I-129F filing fee is $675.
Always check the USCIS website for the most up-to-date filing fee.
What happens after Form I-129F is approved?
If the couple meets the requirements and USCIS is satisfied that the couple has the legal capacity and the intention to marry, it will approve the petition and send it to the National Visa Center (NVC), which then forwards it to the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate in the beneficiary’s country of residence.
Upon receiving the approved K-1 visa petition, a consular officer will notify the fiancé(e) of the documents they need to bring to their interview. Beneficiary must prepare and bring the following original documents to the U.S. Embassy:
- Completed Form DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application
- A passport valid for travel to the United States and with a validity date at least six months beyond your intended period of stay in the U.S.
- Birth certificate, plus English translation
- Divorce or death certificate(s) of any previous spouse(s) for both you and the U.S. citizen sponsor (if applicable)
- Police certificates from your present country of residence and all countries where you have lived for six months or more since age 16
- Medical examination
- Evidence of financial support (Form I-134, Affidavit of Support)
- Two (2) 2×2 photographs
- Evidence of relationship with your U.S. citizen fiancé(e)
- Payment of fees
Each U.S. Embassy/Consulate have their specific K-1 documents requirements that the beneficiary must follow:
If the consular officer finds the applicant to be admissible and eligible as a fiancé(e), the consulate will issue a K-1 visa which will be valid for one entry to the U.S. for up to 90 days.
Adjustment of Status for Fiancé(e)s in the U.S.
The foreign national fiancé(e) is required to marry the U.S. citizen petitioner within 90 days of entry on K-1 visa.
If a beneficiary does not marry their petitioner, the foreign national spouse will lose their lawful status and be subject to deportation.
If the parties marry within 90 days, the person who received the fiancé(e) visa must apply for Adjustment of Status with USCIS in the U.S.
If their Adjustment of Status application is approved within two years of marriage, beneficiaries will be subject to the two-year conditional residence requirement.
If their green card applications are approved more than two years after the marriage, they will not be subject to those requirements.
A K-1 visa holder must marry the fiancé(e) petitioner to be able to file for adjustment.
In other words, if the parties did not marry but instead broke their relationship, and the foreign national fiancé(e) subsequently married another U.S. citizen, the applicant will not be able to adjust status in the United States.
U.S. citizen petitioner is required to submit Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA with the beneficiary’s Adjustment of Status application.
Unmarried children of a foreign national granted a K-1 visa may obtain a K-2 visa to accompany or follow-to-join the fiancé(e).
After the parent has married the U.S. citizen, the children may adjust status in the same way as the parent. The biological parent’s marriage to a U.S. citizen petitioner must occur before the child’s 18th birthday.
Form I-129F FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
How long does it take for I-129F to be approved?
It can take anywhere from 7 months to 13 moths to get Form I-129F approved.
Which is faster I-129F or I-130?
Both forms I-129F and I-130 typically take about 12-13 months to get approved.
How much does I-129F cost?
It costs $675 to file Form I-129F.
Related Links:
K-1 Visas For Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens
Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)