By: Sara Cross
On August 28, the Department of State (“DOS”) instructed consular posts that they are authorized to give high priority to applicants applying for a fiancé(e) visa. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, consular operations are resuming at U.S. Embassies and Consulates in varying degrees depending on the locality. Applicants are urged to check the website of the specific Embassy or Consulate to get updates on the services each site is currently conducting.
A fiancé(e) visa, officially referred to as a K visa, may be issued to a foreign national (and their children) after a petition from their U.S. citizen fiancé(e) is approved. This type of visa allows the foreign national to enter the U.S. for the purpose of entering into a valid marriage with their U.S. citizen petitioner. The marriage must take place within 90 days of entry to the U.S.
The fiancé(e) visa petition (I-129F), once approved, is typically valid for 4 months; however, a consular officer may revalidate an approved I-129F in 4-month segments. For cases affected by the suspension of routine visa services due to COVID-19, this means that it will not be necessary to file a new I-129F Petition, as the officer at the consular post can simply revalidate or extend the approval of the previous petition.
Finally, and very importantly, the K visa is considered a nonimmigrant visa and is not affected by the Presidential Proclamations on visa restrictions issued on April 22, 2020 and June 22, 2020.
Please click here to read more about fiancé(e) visas – https://www.rreeves.com/fiancee-visas-k-visas/.
