K1 Visa Processing in Tokyo, Japan
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A fiancé(e) of a United States citizen who wants to travel to the United States to marry and live after marriage must have a K-1 visa.
To qualify for a K-1 visa, the following conditions are necessary:
- One party is a U.S. citizen
- Both parties are legally free to marry, that is to say neither party is currently married
- Both parties have met in person
- The marriage will take place within 90 days of the fiancé(e) entering the United States on the fiancé(e) visa
Step 1: File a petition
The first step in applying for a fiancé(e) visa is for the U.S. citizen fiancé(e) (the petitioner) to file a petition on form I-129F with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) having jurisdiction over his/her place of residence in the U.S. The USCIS link above will give you specific instructions on where to mail the application.
This petition must be filed with the USCIS in the U.S. It cannot be filed in Japan.
Unmarried children under the age of 21 are eligible to derive status from the fiancé(e) visa petition filed on behalf of their parent. Their name(s) should be included in the petition. If the US citizen is the natural father or mother of the child, the child may have claim to US citizenship and be eligible for a US passport.
The processing time of the application will vary with the case. When filing the petition with the USCIS, your fiancé(e) should ask how long the petition will take to be processed. A petitioner may search for the status of a pending case online at the USCIS website.
If you plan to return to your permanent place of residence outside the United States after the marriage ceremony in the United States you should apply for a B-2 visa, or if eligible, travel visa free under the Visa Waiver Program. If the marriage will take place outside the United States, you will need an immigrant visa to reside in the United States.
Step 2: Begin assembling necessary documents
Once the petition is approved by USCIS, it is then sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) in New Hampshire for additional processing before being forwarded to the embassy/consulate having jurisdiction over the fiancé(e) visa applicant's place of residence. At this point you may wish to begin collecting the documents you will be required to bring on the interview day, as certain documents may take a while to obtain.
Step 3: Complete the fiancé(e) visa forms
Upon receiving the visa applicant's file from the NVC, the embassy/consulate will send him/her the fiancé(e) visa packet of forms that must be completed. It is not possible to send the packet of forms until the Immigrant Visa Unit receives the visa applicant's file from the NVC.
The fiancé(e) visa packet consists of:
- Form DS-230 Part I, Biographic Data
- Form DS-156, Non-Immigrant Visa Application (two copies)
- Form DS-156(K), Non-Immigrant Fiancé(e) Visa Application
- Form DS-157, Supplemental Non-Immigrant Visa Application
- Form DS-2000, Public Charge Evidence
- Form I-134, Affidavit of Support
- Form DSL-1076, Visa Instructions and Appointment Application
- Medical Examination Instructions
Step 4: Complete and mail in DS-230
The biographic data form DS-230 should be completed for each person applying for a visa, regardless of age. The form may be photocopied if more copies are needed. The DS-230 should be completed and returned immediately by fax or mail to the embassy/consulate that sent you the packet of forms.
Step 5: Schedule a visa interview
Once you have obtained all the documents that apply to your case and filled out the remaining forms from your fiancé(e) visa packet, you must fill out the last page of the DSL-1076 and mail or fax it back to the appropriate embassy/consulate. You will be notified of the earliest possible visa interview date.
All required documents on the checklist as well as the remaining completed application forms should be brought to the interview. After receiving the K visa, the beneficiary should travel to the United States and, after marriage, apply for a green card from within the United States. It is not necessary to file for an immigrant visa at the Embassy/Consulate in Japan in addition to the K visa.
