{"id":575,"date":"2017-10-23T16:16:32","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T23:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/?p=575\/"},"modified":"2024-08-07T10:04:33","modified_gmt":"2024-08-07T17:04:33","slug":"marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/","title":{"rendered":"Marrying a U.S. Citizen: Fianc\u00e9 Visa (K-1\/K-3) or Apply for Green Card?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When marrying a U.S. citizen, the question usually arises during the wedding plans: Should we get a fianc\u00e9 visa or apply for a green card instead?\u00a0 The answer depends on your timeline and your goals.\u00a0 But for those who have flexibility, right now it seems that the green card option is the most economical.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Green cards for spouses of U.S. citizens<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spouses of U.S. citizens are immediately eligible for a green card, there is no waiting list.\u00a0 It\u2019s just a matter of how long it will take for the government to process the paperwork. \u00a0Right now, paperwork processing could take up to 9 months or longer. \u00a0The couple must be lawfully married before filing the green card paperwork; for many couples, this could mean planning a marriage that will take place outside the United States.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While waiting for the green card to go through, the foreign spouse is supposed to remain outside the U.S.\u00a0 Some foreign spouses ask about temporary visas or ESTA which allow them to travel to the U.S. while waiting for the green card approval.\u00a0 There are some drawbacks and risks to this plan, which should be discussed with an immigration attorney.\u00a0 \u00a0Our prior newsletters address some of these concerns, and discuss planning options: June\/July 2017 issue<\/a> and September\/October 2017 issue<\/a>.\u00a0 \u00a0At any rate, the couple might not be able to rely on the ability of the foreign spouse to travel and visit the United States while waiting for the green card approval.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But if the foreign spouse is willing to wait outside the U.S., this procedure can be the most economical way to go, because at the end of it all the foreign spouse will have a green card in hand, and permanent residency in the U.S.<\/p>\n

Fianc\u00e9 visas can take just as long<\/strong><\/p>\n

K-1 fianc\u00e9 visas allow the foreign fianc\u00e9 to travel to the United States for the purpose of getting married within 90 days.\u00a0 Then once married, the foreign spouse can apply for the green card inside the U.S., and can live with the U.S. citizen spouse while waiting for the green card paperwork to be approved.<\/p>\n

K-3 visas are for couples who are already married.\u00a0 The K-3 allows a foreign spouse to travel to the United States and live with the U.S. citizen spouse while the green card paperwork is approved.<\/p>\n

In either situation you would think the K-1\/K-3 visa is ideal, but in reality that is not the case right now, due to delays in government processing times.\u00a0 For either visa, the U.S. citizen must first file a petition with the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) and prove the relationship is \u201cbona fide,\u201d or valid.\u00a0 Once that petition is approved, then it is sent to the consulate where the foreign fianc\u00e9\/spouse lives.\u00a0 The foreign fianc\u00e9\/spouse must attend an interview to receive the visa.\u00a0 This process can take anywhere from 5-9 months.<\/p>\n

Then once the foreign fianc\u00e9\/spouse enters the U.S., the foreign spouse must separately file for a green card.\u00a0 This means additional time (up to about 9 months) and additional government filing fees. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Therefore, in comparison, the K-1\/K-3 visas can take almost as long, require the same amount of work, and at the end of the day all the couple has is a temporary visa and not a green card.\u00a0 For some couples the K-1\/K-3 visas may be an appropriate option, but for most they opt to just wait for the green card and save themselves money, headaches and time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When marrying a U.S. citizen, the question usually arises during the wedding plans: Should we get a fianc\u00e9 visa or apply for a green card instead?\u00a0 The answer depends on your timeline and your goals.\u00a0 But for those who have flexibility, right now it seems that the green card option is the most economical.\u00a0 Green […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":878,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,20,21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-575","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-green-cards","category-marriagefamily-cases","category-visas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMarrying a U.S. Citizen: Fianc\u00e9 Visa (K-1\/K-3) or Apply for Green Card? • Hill & Piibe, Immigration Attorneys<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Susan Hill\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Susan Hill\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f704a7620380b179a3f58e1e4c7ddc55\"},\"headline\":\"Marrying a U.S. Citizen: Fianc\u00e9 Visa (K-1\/K-3) or Apply for Green Card?\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-10-23T23:16:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-08-07T17:04:33+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/\"},\"wordCount\":610,\"articleSection\":[\"Green Cards\",\"Marriage\/Family Cases\",\"Visas\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.hillandpiibe.com\/en\/marriagefamily-cases\/2017\/10\/23\/marrying-u-s-citizen-fiance-visa-k-1k-3-apply-green-card\/\",\"name\":\"Marrying a U.S. Citizen: Fianc\u00e9 Visa (K-1\/K-3) or Apply for Green Card? 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