Green Card After Fiancé Visa: What Happens After K-1 Arrival?

Hello, I’m Fred Wahl, the VisaCoach.

Today’s question is:

What happens after my fiancé arrives in the United States on a K-1 fiancé visa?

Many couples think the fiancé visa is the finish line.

But actually, the K-1 fiancé visa is only the first major step.

After your fiancé arrives in the United States, you must get married within 90 days.

Then, after the marriage, your new husband or wife applies for a Green Card through a process called Adjustment of Status.

This is the application that allows your spouse to become a lawful permanent resident of the United States.

The main application is Form I-485.

The current USCIS filing fee for the Green Card application is $1,440.

In addition, your spouse may also choose to apply for Work Authorization, so they can work while waiting for the Green Card.

That optional application currently has a USCIS fee of $260.

Your spouse may also choose to apply for Advance Parole, which is travel permission allowing them to leave and return to the United States while the Green Card case is pending.

That optional application currently has a USCIS fee of $630.

So the basic Green Card filing fee is $1,440.

And if you add both optional applications — Work Authorization and Advance Parole — the government fees increase from there.

The current timeline for the Green Card after a fiancé visa is about 12 months, although every case can be different depending on USCIS workload and the details of the case.

This is why it is so important to understand that the fiancé visa process does not end when your fiancé lands in the United States.

First, your fiancé enters the U.S.

Second, you get married within 90 days.

Third, you prepare and file the Adjustment of Status application.

And finally, your spouse receives permanent residency and the Green Card.

At VisaCoach, we help prepare the Green Card application after the fiancé visa.

Our preparation fee for the Adjustment of Status package is $1,095.

We help organize the forms, supporting documents, financial evidence, and optional work and travel applications when appropriate.

The goal is to help you move from fiancé visa arrival to permanent residency with a clear, organized application.

This was Fred Wahl, the VisaCoach.

If your fiancé has arrived in the United States, or will be arriving soon, now is the time to prepare for this next step.

If you would like to learn more about how VisaCoach helps couples prepare their Permanent Residency cases, click the video on your screen.

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