Given the recent developments in the investigation of the San Bernardino terrorist attacks, where a K1 Fiance Visa was wrongfully given to a terrorist, I expect that there will be changes to the K1 Fiance Visa application process and review. One big change that seems inevitable is how the government will review an applicant’s social media accounts and postings. I do expect that the Department of Homeland Security and The US State Department will begin reviewing the social media accounts of its applicants very soon. Given the need to properly vet those who wish to immigrate to the United States to ensure the safety of all Americans, this seems to be a fair area of inquiry. Historically, social media has not routinely been reviewed for various reasons stemming from privacy concerns to the added expense that the additional review time would necessitate.
Vetting the K1 Fiance Visa Application
The K1 Fiance Visa has come under some intense scrutiny because of the recent terrorist attack in California. Unfortunately, it looks like one of the terrorists came into the US through a K1 Fiance Visa. Gaining entrance into the US through a K1 Fiance Visa could not have been easy and based on my experience with helping couples from around the world who have applied for a K1 Fiance Visa, I know that it is a time consuming and thorough process.
The K1 Fiance Visa is intended to help couples who have met each other in person and are truly in love and wish to get married and be together. It is an important visa that has helped create many wonderful American families. Applying for a K1 Fiance Visa is not a quick or simple task. It requires the submission of several forms and documents, and then the application undergoes careful examination by the US Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State. Background and criminal checks are performed on both the petitioner (US Citizen) and the beneficiary (foreign fiancé). The process takes about 8-9 months and it concludes with a interview at the US Embassy or US Consulate closest to where the foreign fiancé resides.
F1 Students Becoming A Legal Permanent Resident After Getting Married To US Citizen
Students from all over the world come to the United States to study. They typically enter the US on either a J-1 or F-1 Student Visa. They study and then sometimes fall in love. Many times the relationship develops to such a point that that student wishes to get married and stay in the US. The good news is that in most cases, the student can get married and stay in the US and become a legal Permanent Resident of the United States. There are a few options that a student can choose from depending on the type of visa the student was originally granted. In this article, we will focus on students with an F1 Student Visa. Students with J1 Visa will be discussed in a separate and following article. In some limited cases, students with a J1 Visa must obtain a waiver to stay in the US after getting married and this topic will be fully discussed. For now, lets just focus on the F1 Student visas.
F1 Visas are granted to students who plan to study in the US. They are valid for the duration of the course work and for a brief period of time after the completion of the student’s course of study. In some cases, the student is given time to gain work experience after completing their studies and this is called OPT. Then once the OPT time expires, the F1 student is required to return home. However, if the student falls in love while in the US and gets married to a US citizen, the student/spouse can apply for an Adjustment of Status to become a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) and likely stay in the US to live and work without returning home first.
Large Age Differences and Proving a Bona Fide Relationship for a K1 Fiance Visa
Age differences between couples is common and generally accepted by USCIS when applying for a K1 Fiance Visa. However, large differences in a couples ages will result in closer scrutiny of your case. I routinely see cases that are approved where the age difference between the couple is 20 to 30 years. Where there is such a large age difference between the couple, it becomes important to show that the relationship is genuine through other factors.
One factor is the longevity of the relationship. The longer a couple has had a relationship together the better. This is especially true when the couples ages are quite far apart.
Proof that you have regular conversations is also important. Today, there are several ways to stay in touch……cells phones, email, Skype, Viber, texting, Yahoo Messenger, Whats Up, etc…Keeping a record of your communications is important. You will want to submit copies of your conversations with your application. It not only shows that you stay in touch with each other, which you would expect, but it will show the content of your communications. Submit examples of your communications that show that you care for and miss one another.
Adjusting Status as a student on an F1 or J1 visa
Students who travel to the United States on an F1 or J1 visa to study, often times fall in love with somebody they meet while in school. These relationships sometimes evolve into marriages. Fortunately, and in the vast majority of cases, US Immigration law allows the foreign student to adjust status and become a US Legal Permanent Resident and stay in the United States. The complicity of the process depends on whether the married student’s visa is an F1 or J1 with a 2 year foreign residency restriction.
For the married students here on an F1 visa, the process is fairly straight forward. After getting married, the couple first need to file an I-130 Petition for Alien Spouse and an I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status. The same process is used for married students on a J1 visa without the two year foreign residency restriction. In some cases, a J1 visa will be issued, but with a two residency restriction. This means that at the expiration of the students class work and possible subsequent occupational training, unless a waiver is granted, the student has to return home to their country of origin for two years before they can apply for an adjustment of status and become a US legal permanent resident as the spouse of a US citizen. In those cases where the married student is here on a J1 with a two year foreign residency restriction, the process of obtaining a waiver to avoid having to return home for two years can be difficult.
Same Sex Marriage Immigration Benefits For Fiancés And Spouses
Immigration benefits for same sex couples are now legal and our office is getting Fiance Visas and Marriage Visas approved for same sex couples from around the world!
As you may have heard, same sex marriages are now legal in all 50 states and this makes getting married to a same sex partner much easier than before. No longer do you have to travel to a state that allows for same sex marriages after your fiancé enters the US on his or her Fiance Visa to get married. Also, you no longer have to worry about the religious or legal impediments in the foreign fiancés country. All Fiance Visa applications are processed by a local US Embassy who applies only US law. So even if your fiancé comes from a country that does not recognize same sex marriages or has strong religious opposition to same sex marriages, the application will be processed and approved in accordance with US law.
If you are already married and you were married in the US, you can now apply for a Marriage Visa without issue or your foreign spouse can adjust status to become a Legal Permanent Resident depending on your circumstances.
Basic Documents Required For A K1 Fiance Visa
There are certain basic documents that are required by USCIS when applying for a K1 Fiance Visa. Both the Petitioner (US Citizen) and the Beneficiary (foreign fiance) have to provide documents along with their signed forms. These documents include:
- Birth Certificates
- Copies of Passport Pages
What are the Eligibility Requirements for a K1 Fiance Visa
To file for a K1 Fiance Visa, you must prove that:
- You (the petitioner) are a U.S. citizen.
- You intend to marry your foreign fiancé within 90 days of your fiancé(e) coming into the the United States.
Getting your Legal Permanent Residency (Green Card) when married to a US Citizen
If you are married to a US Citizen and you entered the US legally, you can likely adjust your status to become a US Legal Permanent Resident no matter how long you may have waited.
Many of my past clients have entered the US as an F1 or J1 student worker, B1 or B2 visitor or by some other legal manner like a Visa Waiver and stayed beyond the expiration of their visa. They get married and one thing leads to another and they never apply for their Adjustment of Status to become a Legal Permanent Resident of the US. I’ve had clients tell me that the thought they waited to long, or they were afraid to face the consequences of overstaying their visas. Sometimes its just the expense of the process that causes the delay. Regardless, its not something you should put off for another day. Get it done as soon as possible.
Not to worry, if you entered the US Legally and got married to a US Citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident who can apply for citizenship. and your marriage is honest and not for the purpose of gaining legal status in the US, you can very likely adjust your status to become a Legal Permanent Resident of the US. Its important that you file for your Legal Permanent Residency (Green Card) as soon as possible so as to protect yourself from being removed. Once filed, you gain temporary protective status and cannot be removed until your matter is decided upon. In the vast majority of these cases, all goes well and the Legal Permanent Residency is granted.
Prior Drug Use and the K1 Fiance Visa
Prior drug use by a fiancé applying for a Fiancé Visa can result in a denial. If your fiancé has a history of prior drug use, I strongly recommend that you consult with an experienced Attorney before filing your K1 Fiance Visa application. You need to be aware of the possible negative impact that current or prior drug use can have on your application and you will need to get good legal advice.
The Immigration and Nationality Act states that anyone who is a drug addict or a drug abuser is ineligible for a K1 Fiance Visa. Because drug abuse is essentially defined as the non-medical use of an illegal substance, this could very well include prior casual drug use.
The issue of illegal drug use comes up during the Embassy required medical exam and possibly during the visa interview. At the medical exam, the examining physician will determine if the beneficiary fiancé is a drug addict or a drug abuser. The fiancé will be asked during the exam if he or she is currently taking illegal drugs or has taken any illegal drugs in the past. If the fiancé has taken drugs in the past and answers truthfully, this admission can result in being denied your K1 Fiance Visa. Conceal your prior drugs use and get caught lying, and you will likely be denied your visa for dishonesty. Although this dilemma seems to have no simple answer, I would argue that it actually does.
