New York City — All Five Boroughs
Bring your fiancé(e) to the United States on a K-1 visa and get married in New York. Mandi Law Group handles the complete K-1 process — I-129F petition, consular processing, and adjustment of status to a green card after marriage. Call (518) 698-0347.
The K-1 fiancé visa allows a U.S. citizen to bring their foreign fiancé(e) to the United States for the purpose of getting married. New York City's diverse population includes thousands of couples in binational relationships — Americans who met their partners abroad through work, travel, online connections, or shared communities. The K-1 visa is often the fastest way to unite these couples in New York so they can marry and build their lives together.
Mandi Law Group handles all aspects of the K-1 process. Call (518) 698-0347 to begin the process today.
The K-1 process begins with the U.S. citizen filing Form I-129F with USCIS. We prepare a complete petition package demonstrating your genuine relationship through photographs, communication records, meeting evidence, and personal statements. USCIS processing times and requirements must be carefully followed to avoid delays.
After I-129F approval, the case is forwarded to the National Visa Center and then to the U.S. Embassy in your fiancé(e)'s country. We prepare your fiancé(e) for the consular interview, assemble all required financial, medical, and relationship documents, and advise on what to expect at the interview.
Upon K-1 visa approval, your fiancé(e) has 6 months to use the visa and must enter the U.S. once. After entry, you must marry within 90 days — there are no extensions. We advise couples on timing, the marriage process, and what happens if unforeseen delays arise during the 90-day window.
After marrying, your spouse (formerly K-1 fiancé(e)) files for adjustment of status (I-485) to become a lawful permanent resident. We prepare the complete adjustment package including I-485, I-765 (work permit), I-131 (travel document), and accompany clients to their USCIS interview at 26 Federal Plaza.
Children of K-1 visa holders can accompany or follow their parent to the U.S. on K-2 visas. We include K-2 petitions for all qualifying children of the K-1 applicant and ensure their adjustment of status is filed simultaneously with the principal K-1 holder after marriage.
USCIS frequently issues Requests for Evidence (RFEs) in K-1 cases, challenging the genuineness of the relationship. We respond to all RFEs with additional documentation and legal argument. If a petition was denied, we advise on whether to appeal, file a motion to reopen, or file a new petition.
The K-1 fiancé visa process involves several steps: (1) The U.S. citizen petitioner files Form I-129F with USCIS — currently taking 6-12 months to process; (2) After approval, the National Visa Center forwards the case to the U.S. Embassy in the fiancé(e)'s country; (3) The fiancé(e) attends a consular interview and receives the K-1 visa; (4) The fiancé(e) enters the U.S. — they must marry the petitioner within 90 days of entry; (5) After marriage, the new spouse files I-485 for adjustment of status to a green card. The adjustment process currently takes an additional 12-18 months at the USCIS New York office.
A K-1 fiancé visa brings your fiancé(e) to the U.S. so you can marry here — the marriage happens in America. A CR-1 (or IR-1) spousal visa requires you to already be married before the visa is issued — the marriage happens abroad before the immigration process. Each has advantages: K-1 is often slightly faster to get the person into the U.S. for the marriage, but requires a second USCIS process (adjustment of status) after marriage. CR-1 requires waiting until married but results in the spouse arriving as an LPR. We advise couples on which route is best for their specific circumstances.
Nationality does not create a backlog for K-1 visas — the K-1 is a nonimmigrant visa and is not subject to annual per-country caps the way immigrant visas are. Processing times at U.S. Embassies vary by country, and some countries have longer wait times for consular appointments than others. Additionally, nationals of certain countries with higher denial rates may face more scrutiny at the consular interview. We prepare comprehensive documentation for any country of origin and advise on country-specific considerations.
A K-1 RFE typically challenges whether the couple has met in person within the past 2 years and whether the relationship is genuine. Respond with: additional photographs together (timestamped, from multiple occasions and locations); comprehensive communication logs (messages, call logs, emails); evidence of visits (travel records, flight records); statements from people who have met both of you as a couple; financial evidence of support (money transfers, gifts sent); and detailed personal declarations from both parties. The RFE response deadline is strict — typically 87 days. Do not miss it. We handle K-1 RFE responses and know what USCIS needs.
If you did not marry within 90 days of your fiancée's K-1 entry, the K-1 visa status expired automatically. Your fiancée would be out of status. If you have since married, she is an immediate relative of a U.S. citizen but cannot adjust status inside the U.S. if she has been out of status for 180+ days, as she would have accrued unlawful presence. She may need to depart for consular processing on an immigrant visa. The I-601A provisional unlawful presence waiver may apply if she has accumulated sufficient unlawful presence. Consult with an immigration attorney immediately — do not attempt any USCIS filing without analysis.
Contact Mandi Law Group to start the K-1 fiancé visa process. We handle everything from the I-129F petition through the green card after marriage.