K-1 visa, also known as the fiancé visa, is the most appropriate visa if a US citizen wants to sponsor their fiancé to come and get married in the United States. However, you should always keep in mind the extra cost involved in the process, as the cost of arranging a marriage ceremony is higher in itself.
This article will provide you with an insight into all the different fees you have to pay during your fiancé K 1 visa application process so that you can make better decisions.
What cost can I expect for K 1 visa?
During the process of your fiancé’s K-1 application, several costs are involved, such as filing costs for the United States Citizenship and immigration services (USCIS) application, US Department of State fees, medical costs, and other costs. The breakdown of these costs is as follows:
Cost of Filing Form I 129F
The process of a successful K 1 application starts with filing Form I 129F with the USCIS. The sponsoring partner (who is a US citizen) files the form on behalf of the foreign fiance along with all the relevant documents. The filing fee for Form I 129F, Petition for Alien fiancé, is $535.
This will initiate your visa process. At this stage, you have to wait for the USCIS to receive your petition and make a decision on your petition. If you have sufficient supporting documents, the USCIS will approve your I 129F petition and will forward your case to the US Department of State (DoS).
Cost of filing for K 1 visa
Once your case is forwarded to DoS national visa center (NVC), you will receive a notice from the department to appear for a visa interview at a US embassy or consulate in your home country. The next step is for your fiance to file for a K-1 visa by completing Form DS 160 and later attend an interview with the US embassy or consulate nearby in their home country.
The embassy or consulate at the time of the interview will access the application and will either approve or deny the K-1 visa for your fiancé.
The foreign fiance has to file a form DS 160 (which is a non-immigrant visa application) online and has to pay the visa fee, which is $265. The interviewing officer will see the form completion confirmation at the time of the interview. So make sure that you take out a printout of the same and bring that to the interview.
Cost of arranging documents for the visa interview
At the time of the interview, you will have to show a number of required documents, and you may have to incur costs in gathering them. These are:
Medical examination costs
The K-1 visa applicant has to undergo a medical examination and show the results at the time of the interview. The visa applicant has to get the medical examination done through a US government-approved physician. There is no fixed cost for medical tests. They may vary from country to country. However, you may expect somewhere between $50- $350depending on the country you are living in.
Other Costs
There are other costs that you may incur or may not incur depending upon your case and the country you are living in. They are only minor costs, and in the majority of cases, they will not be an issue for you. These may include:
Vaccination fees (if required) :
In some cases, you have to take some vaccinations before receiving your medical examination report. The vaccination costs will vary depending on the country and provider. Make sure to check if you require vaccination to get your visa. You may consult one of our expert immigration attorney to seek any kind of advice related to immigration.
Translation Fees
If you have submitted any supporting document in a language which is not English, you will require to submit a certified translated version of that document along with your main document. This may add a fee for translation services to your overall costs of the visa.
Documents fees
This is the cost that you may require to obtain certain official documents, and you may have to pay government fees to obtain such documents. For example, if you don’t have a passport, you may require one to travel. The Government agency charges certain fees for issuing you the documents. Other documents may include a police clearance certificate and birth certificate.
Travel expenses
You have to incur travel expenses during the process of arranging the documents and going to the interview. You have to bear all the expenses from your own pocket. Although it is not much, it still adds to your overall costs.
Other costs
It includes the costs of getting your documents photocopied, obtaining photos, postage costs,s, etc.
Cost Overview
Overall you can list the costs as mandatory costs, which are as follows:
- Filing Form I 129F – $535.
- Filing Form DS 160 – $265.
- Medical exam fees – $50- $350 (Vary with country)
and, Other costs – Varies (includes vaccination costs, translation costs, etc.)
Applying for adjustment of status while on K 1 visa
Most of the people who apply for K-1 visas also apply for adjustment of status within the US after getting married. Being married to a US citizen gives the alien fiancé an opportunity to apply for a marriage-based green card.
However, there are higher costs in the process. You should know all costs involved in the adjustment of status as, most likely, if you are applying for a K-1 visa, you are also interested in applying for adjustment of status so that you and your spouse can live in the United States without any immigration issues.
Cost of Form I -485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status
To adjust your status, the K 1 visa beneficiary has to file Form I 485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status). The cost of Form I 485 is $1,140, and $85 for biometrics if you are between the age of 14-78 years of age. There are no biometric fees for applicants aged 79 or above. And, if you are an applicant under 14 and filing with the I-485
application of at least one parent, the filing fee is $750 with no biometric fee involved.
What is the total cost that I have to incur for a K-1 visa?
Arranging a wedding itself cost thousands of dollars and what one might not want is to add any extra dime to that cost. However, some couples want to get married in the US, so it is best to have a general idea of the overall cost of getting a K-1 visa.
If you add the mandatory costs such as fees and other potential costs that you might incur during the process of getting the visa, you can expect anywhere between $900-$1400. However, this is an approximate amount, and you might have to incur more or less depending on your location and case.
The best part is that you do not have to pay all the costs at the start; it is well divided in the process, such as you have to pay a $535 mandatory fee for I 129F at the start and later when your application is approved and sent to US Department of State national visa center (NVC), then you have to pay fees for DS 160 form and medical examination.
How can Herman Legal Group help you?
Herman Legal Group has been providing services in the US immigration law for the last 26 years and is AV-Rated and has been awarded the designation of “Best Law Firm” by US News & World Report.
If you need help in filing your K 1 visa applications, filing form I-129F, adjustment of status applications, or any other general inquiry, you can discuss it with one of our immigration attorneys. Sit with our immigration attorneys or consult with them online to discuss your immigration matter.
You can set up a consultation with our experienced immigration attorneys by calling us at 1-216-696-6170 or by booking online. Most of their meetings with clients and prospective clients are conducted online, via Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, Facetime, or Google Meet.
