# How to sponsor a fiancé(e) for a K-1 visa > The K-1 route end to end: the I-129F petition, the embassy stage, the 90-day marriage window, and the green card after — with fees cited at each stage. Canonical: https://www.popimmigration.com/guides/sponsor-fiance-k1 Publisher: Pop Immigration (https://www.popimmigration.com) Last reviewed: 2026-07-19 The K-1 is the engagement path: a U.S. citizen petitions for a foreign fiancé(e), the fiancé(e) enters on a K-1 visa, and the couple marries in the United States within 90 days. This page describes the full route — petition, embassy, marriage, green card — with every factual claim cited to a primary source. It describes the process in general terms only; it is not advice about any individual case. ## Who the K-1 is for Only a U.S. citizen may petition for a fiancé(e) — lawful permanent residents may not. In general, both parties must be legally free to marry, and the couple must have met in person within the 2 years before filing; USCIS may waive the meeting requirement in the limited circumstances its instructions describe (extreme hardship to the petitioner, or strict and long-established customs). ## The sequence: petition → embassy → 90 days The petition is Form I-129F with USCIS. Once approved, the case moves through the Department of State to the embassy or consulate where the fiancé(e) applies for the K-1 visa — the online visa application and a consular interview. After admission to the United States, the marriage must take place within 90 days. After the marriage, the new spouse applies for the green card with Form I-485. ## What the two stages cost Under the current G-1055 schedule, the I-129F is $675, filed on paper — it cannot be filed online. The green-card stage after the marriage — Form I-485 — is $1,440, also on paper: K-1 and family adjustment cases cannot file the I-485 online. The Department of State's K visa fee at the embassy stage is published on travel.state.gov. So the K-1 route's USCIS fees span both stages, and pricing the route means pricing both. USCIS fees change periodically — before filing, verify current amounts on the official USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055) at uscis.gov/g-1055. ## K-1 or marry first? Two sequences, not a ranking The alternative structure is to marry first — abroad or in the U.S. — and file the I-130 spouse petition instead. Both are established family paths with different forms, fees, and steps; which sequence fits depends on facts this page cannot know. What can be said generally: the K-1 leads to marriage inside the U.S. followed by adjustment of status, while marry-first leads through the spouse-petition process described in the related guides. ## After the wedding: conditions on the card Because a K-1 marriage is new by definition, a green card approved while the marriage is under two years old is conditional — Form I-751, the petition to remove conditions, follows in the 90 days before the two-year card expires. Foreign-language documents throughout the case need certified English translations, receipts arrive as Form I-797C, and USCIS publishes processing-time estimates; this page claims no timeframe. ## Frequently asked questions ### Who can file a K-1 petition? Only a U.S. citizen. Lawful permanent residents cannot petition for a fiancé(e) — for an LPR, the path is marriage first, then the F-2A spouse petition. ### How much does the K-1 route cost in USCIS fees? $675 for the I-129F (paper only — it cannot be filed online), then $1,440 for the I-485 after the marriage (also paper for K-1 adjustment). The State Department's visa fee at the embassy stage is published on travel.state.gov. Fees change — verify at uscis.gov/g-1055. ### Does the couple have to have met in person? Generally yes, within the 2 years before filing — with narrow waivers for extreme hardship or strict, long-established customs, as the instructions describe. ### What happens if the wedding is within 90 days? After the marriage, the new spouse applies for permanent residence with Form I-485; a card approved while the marriage is under two years old is conditional, with the I-751 later. ### Is the K-1 better than marrying first and filing the I-130? They are different sequences, not a ranking — different forms, fees, and steps. Complex situations are attorney territory; the related guides describe both paths. ## Sources - USCIS — I-129F; U.S. Dept. of State — K-1 page: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/family-immigration/nonimmigrant-visa-for-a-fiance-k-1.html - USCIS — I-129F instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f - USCIS — I-130; I-129F: https://www.uscis.gov/i-130 - 8 CFR § 103.2(b)(3); USCIS Processing Times: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/section-103.2 - USCIS — I-751: https://www.uscis.gov/i-751 --- Pop Immigration is an educational and organizational tool, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. HTML version: https://www.popimmigration.com/guides/sponsor-fiance-k1