A K-1 fiancé(e) visa allows you to enter the US, and it buys you some time (90 days, to be exact) to stabilize your immigration status. Marrying your US citizen partner, however, is not the end of the story -- you are still going to need to change your status to permanent resident in order to remain in the US long-term.
Fiance visa fraud is more common than marriage-based green card fraud for a number of reasons -- because fiancé(e) visas are processed more quickly, because it is easier to establish a legitimate engagement relationship than a legitimate marriage relationship, and because it is easier to simply fail to marry a fiancé(e) than to divorce a spouse.
In this useful guide are the steps necessary to apply for a fiancé(e) visa.
“Green Card” is the popular name for a “lawful permanent resident card.” There was a time these cards were green and the term “green card” is still being used to signify lawful permanent resident status cards.
For many officials, memories of marriage fraud cases are still fresh. Hence, the crux is to prove that the relationship is the result of love and trust. That is, the relationship is not only real but also meant to be a marriage in good faith. After all, fraud cases also had legally real relationships conjured up in haste. Extensive documentation is helpful. Retaining a lawyer at a reasonable price can help secure status for loved ones. For this type of case, credibility is the key to approval.
This type of case often leads to actual immigration. Therefore, veracity of materials presented are critical. We would prefer our clients to document their finances, keep photographic evidence of genuine relationship or courtship and email correspondence. Our case is only as strong as the evidence our clients offer.
