K-1 Visa Info for Vermont
a U.S. citizens wishes to marry a non-U.S. citizen, the K-1 visa may provide a legal way for the couple to live together in the U.S. prior to marriage. The Vermont K-1 visa can be obtained by petitioning the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for approval.
Common questions for U.S. citizens considering a K-1 visa, also called a Fiancé(e) visa, regard the requirements for a K-1 visa. While there are several elements that must be met to qualify for the petition of a K-1 visa, one important requirement is that the couple must have had at least one face-to-face meeting in the last two years of filing the petition. There are, however, some cultural or religious customs exceptions to this general rule.
While the requirement, on its face, seems reasonable it may prove challenging in the age of online technology, dating sites and Skype phone calls and communication. A couple may have met online and dated exclusively online. The couple may only communicate online, but this sort of meeting won’t allow the couple to qualify for a K-1 visa. That’s because the visa requires a face-to-face visit.
Another example of why the face-to-face meeting may be difficult for some couples is a natural disaster. Extreme disasters such as the catastrophic Japan earthquake and tsunami have made travel to parts of the country very challenging. A U.S. citizen who was courting a Japanese citizen and now wishes to marry the woman would need to facilitate a face-to-face meeting to be eligible for a K-1 visa petition.
Family hardship, financial difficulty, civil unrest or civil war all are other considerations that may hinder a face-to-face meeting when a U.S. citizen’s significant other lives in another country.
If you are considering applying for a K-1 visa to bring you and your significant other together so that you can marry one another, a K-1 visa attorney can help you understand all of the requirements for petitioning USCIS. Without relying on the experience of a knowledgeable Vermont immigration lawyer, you may forget to file the important paperwork, neglect critical requirements including the face-to-face visit, and your K-1 visa application may be denied.