Fiancé/e Visa Application (K1 / K2 Visa) and Requirements

My Fiancee Visa Road-map to become Mrs. Edmiston 

Fiancé/e Visa Application (K1 / K2 Visa) and Requirements
     K1 Visa is for the Fiancé/e of a US Citizen and K2 Visa is for the minor Children, 21 years         old and below of the K1 Visa  holder 
       The Process below is Embassy specific to US Embassy Manila, Philippines

To USC/ Petitioner, this process is applicable when you already done all of the following: 

1. filed I-129 F Petition for your foreign Fiancé/e with USCIS 

2. Received your Notice of Action (I-797), the Approval commonly called among those on the process as NOA2 (Notice of Action 2, the  Notice of Action 1 is Form I-797C which is the notice of receipt of your application); 

3. CASE NUMBER from NVC and Medical Examination. If you don't have the CASE NUMBER (MNL xxxxxxx ) , call NVC  Tel No. 603 334 0700 6am to 12MN EST. Be ready with your Receipt Number and a long waiting time. Well call early in the morning, I called 9:30am EST and waited for 15 mins. 

The requirements and process below is advised with your NOA 2. If you have not done your Medical yet, please click HERE. 

You must pay the K visa application fee before you can schedule your appointment.  Re-check the most currents fees. Print the MRV and pay your Visa. Bring a copy of your Passport. 

The application fee for a K1 or K2 nonimmigrant visa is US $265, payable only in Philippine pesos at the prevailing exchange rate. There are three ways to pay the K visa application fee: cash payment at any Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) branch, online payment provided by BPI to their clients; or online payment via Bancnet. After 24 hours, you can now enter your receipt number to ustraveldocs to make your interview appointment. 

After paying your visa application fee, schedule your visa interview appointment by visiting the U.S. Embassy’s Visa Information and Appointment Service online at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph or calling (632) 976-8500, (632) 976-8501 or (632) 976-8502. This service is open Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., except on Philippine and U.S. holidays. Callers may speak with an English-, Tagalog-, Ilocano-, or Cebuano-speaking operator. Applicants, agents or petitioners calling from the United States may also use this service by calling (703) 520-2235.

    I made my appointment through ustraveldocs. Register at http://www.ustraveldocs.com/ph and key in all     your related info including delivery address.  

You must bring the following documentation when you come to the Embassy for your interview. 

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS 

You must submit ALL ORIGINAL civil documents to facilitate your application. You may be asked to return for another appointment if you fail to bring any of these documents:

  

1. ONLINE NONIMMIGRANT VISA APPLICATION (DS-160) CONFIRMATION PAGE. You must print the DS-160  Confirmation Page that contains the barcode information and bring it to your interview, just bring the first page only. If you have not done your DS 160 yet, click HERE. 

 2. PASSPORT. Must be valid for at least six (6) months. 

Bring all previous Passport especially if you have previous US Visa of any category even if it was expired. It is also better to know your previous travel to US. 

Please also consider that you cannot travel if your passport is below 6 months valid, thus if your passport is expiring within the year just go ahead and renew in advance and bring the new passport in the interview. Your passport probably is your only valid identification when you move to the states, you don't want to have an expired passport in a new country. Renewing through a Philippine consulate abroad is far more inconvenient than to do it here. I still wanted a new passport though with my married name on it. ahhaha 

3. BIRTH CERTIFICATE. Must be issued by the Philippines Statistics Office  (PSA, formerly NSO). When you request for a copy from PSA, get several copies. You need this for future requirements.  The embassy will get the original.  

4. POLICE REPORT (NBI Clearance). Applicants aged 16 years and older must have a valid Record Clearance (for travel abroad purposes) from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Clearances should be in the applicant’s current name, birth certificate name, maiden name and any aliases or nicknames used, including different spellings you have used of those names. An official letter of explanation from the NBI is required for any notation of “No criminal record” or "No pending case”. For immigration purposes, an NBI clearance is valid for one (1) year after its issuance date. 

For the interview, your NBI Clearance should not be more than 6 months from the sate of issuance. There were some instances that applicant were asked to submit a new NBI clearance because their NBI is more than 6 months. This was based on some experiences of some applicants. In my case, I had an annulment of my previous marriage, thus my NBI has an AKA which was my previous married name. You can apply NBI Clearance by registering on-line. 

         a. OTHER COUNTRY POLICE CERTIFICATES. Applicants aged 16 years and older must also present police certificates from other countries where they have lived for six (6) months or more after reaching age 16. As with NBI clearances, foreign police certificates should be obtained in any maiden names, aliases or nicknames used while in the country in question, including different spellings you have used of those names. Country-specific information on how to secure police certificates is available on the State Department’s website at http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/fees/reciprocity-by-country.html.

       b. COURT AND PRISON RECORDS. Applicants who have been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime must present copies or transcripts of court or prison records relating to the crime or offense.

          c. MILITARY OR POLICE SERVICE RECORDS: Applicants who served in the military or police should present certified copies of their military or police service records.

5. EVIDENCE OF A GENUINE ENGAGEMENT. You must prove to the consular officer that you have a genuine relationship with your petitioner and a clear intention to marry within 90 days of admission into the United States. You can submit photographs, letters, e-mails, phone records, bank records and remittance records as evidence supporting their relationships and intent to marry. 

I brought a new Letter of Intent to Marry, some photos (don't make an album, printed photos with noted at the back when and where it was taken is fine)- mine is printed colored on paper lay-out in word file and I put it on a clear sheet. 

6. PROOF OF TERMINATION OF A PRIOR MARRIAGE. Submit official documents (divorce decree, annulment decree or death certificate, etc.) that prove all prior marriages contracted by you and the petitioner have been legally terminated prior to the filing of the petition. 

This includes all marriages even if it was ages ago or terminated by death. Non-disclosure of all previous marriages can cause DENIAL. 

7. CERTIFICATE OF NO MARRIAGE RECORD (CENOMAR). You must also submit a CENOMAR issued by the PSA, formerly NSO and printed on PSA security paper if you have never contracted a marriage or as deemed necessary by a consular officer.

If you had a previous marriage which was terminated or annulled, PSA will issue a Certificate of  Marriage (CEMAR) with annotations that the marriage was annulled. 

8. EVIDENCE OF SUPPORT. You should be able to demonstrate that you will not become a public charge or burden on the U.S. taxpayers for financial support. A completed I-134 Affidavit of Support Form may be useful to the consular officer to evaluate your petitioner’s ability to be financially responsible for you. You may also be asked to submit your petitioner’s most recent U.S. Federal income tax return (Form 1040) and wage statements (Form W-2). Employment letters stating salaries and bank statements may be included to substantiate the I-134. Download Form I-134 and here's the instructions. Always check the most current forms. 

I brought my fiance's most recent Form 1040, W2, Employment certificate and I-134 (wet signature). Although none of these were asked from me during the interview.  

9. VISA PHOTOGRAPHS. You must bring three (3) color photographs; two for the visa and one for the medical report. Follow the Photo Guide. 
I was only asked to submit one photo at Step 1 during the Interview. Nevertheless, just bring extra phtos. 

  

10. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) DOCUMENTS: If you have applied for any benefit, such as a change of status, adjustment of status, or asylum, before United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), or have been the subject of any enforcement proceedings, such as deportation or removal proceedings, please bring all related documents with you to the interview.

If you also have any other petition filled in your behalf with USCIS/NVC, bring your NOA2 or Approval Notice or any document you have. They asked for my existing F2B Petition and my priority date. This was asked in Step 2 and CO Interview. 

11. MEDICAL EXAMINATION. All K1 and K2 visa applicants must bring a medical examination report from St. Luke’s Medical Center Extension Clinic which is on a sealed envelope. Click HERE to read my Medical Exam Blog. 

IMPORTANT REMINDERS FROM THE US EMBASSY MANILA  

Come To The Embassy On Your Appointed Interview Date.

If you are eligible for a K1 or K2 visa, your passport with the approved visa will be delivered to your designated delivery address at no additional cost. The Embassy uses a guaranteed courier service to handle visa deliveries. 2GO commercial courier is the Embassy's authorized courier service provider for visas. Delivery should be within two weeks from your visa issuance. Applicants also have the option to pick up visas at any 2GO branch.

  This can be case to case basis, I received my Passport/ Visa Packet 3 working days after issued staus on CEAC. My delivery address is just Makati City. This will vary depending on your location.   

If we have questions about your application, we will send a letter asking you to submit additional documents, or to return to the Embassy for another interview. No Embassy representative is authorized to tell you that a visa has been approved until a consular officer authorizes printing of the visa.

For the safety and security of all applicants and employees, visa applicants cannot bring cell phones or other electronic devices into the U.S. Embassy. Applicants who bring such devices are denied entry. Please arrange to leave electronic equipment in a safe location off Embassy grounds during your interview appointment.

 Leave your phone in your Hotel room or at home. I survived 6 hours without a phone :) . If you happened to have any electronic devices by mistake (USB, memory cards, etc), you can leave it to the vendors outside the embassy at your own risk with a FEE.  They offer the services. 

We strive to return documents that you submitted and asked us to return, but do not give us anything that cannot be replaced. Make copies of important documents and submit copies with the originals you want returned to you.

A K1/K2 visa is NOT an immigrant visa, nor a permanent resident card (green card); it is a nonimmigrant visa permitting travel to the United States to marry your petitioner within 90 days of entry. Once married, you must apply with USCIS to adjust status as a legal permanent resident (LPR). Travel outside the United States while adjustment of status is pending may have severe consequences. Contact USCIS before traveling, even for an emergency, to see if you need a travel document to re-enter the United States. A K1/K2 is a single-entry visa. Once you enter U.S. territory, e.g., Guam, you cannot re-enter the United States on the same visa if your onward flight transits a third country.

 Minor children identified on the approved I-129F petition may follow to join their petitioned parent. However, such follow-to-join K2 visas can only be issued within one year from the time the parent was issued a K1 visa. After one (1) year, they no longer derive immigration benefits from the I-129F petition and you or your spouse must file an immediate relative or second preference petition for them to qualify again.

If you have one or more children not listed on the visa petition, or a current pregnancy, or a prior undisclosed marriage even if it is now terminated, or currently have a contagious disease of public health significance, be prepared to present a notarized letter from the petitioner stating he/she knows the discrepancies between facts stated on the petition and your actual personal circumstances, and still wishes to proceed with marriage.

 Do not finalize arrangements for travel to the United States, dispose of property, or resign from your job until a visa has been issued and delivered to you. Generally, a single-entry fiancé(e) (K1) nonimmigrant visa is valid for six months from the date of issuance, unless its validity is limited by medical or other restrictions.

 Validity is 6 months from your first day of Medical Examination. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE TO FIANCE(E) DERIVATIVE (K2) APPLICANTS

A fiance(e) derivative (K2) applicant must apply and be issued a visa (if qualified) within one (1) year from the date the fiance(e) (K1) visa was issued. Therefore, we strongly urge K2 applicants to apply for a visa as soon as possible, potentially as early as four months after K1 issuance. 

The following average timelines

Process / Requirement:	Duration / Time of Completion:
Regular Medical Examination at St. Luke’s Extension Clinic. Applicant should complete the exam before the visa interview.	Two (2) business days to complete.
Additional Medical Examination (i.e., sputum test and culture for tuberculosis) if deemed necessary by St. Luke’s Extension Clinic. Applicant should complete the exam and obtain clearance from St. Luke’s before a visa interview can be scheduled.	Three (3) days for sputum test; results released eight (8) weeks after sputum test is performed
Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) If found positive for tuberculosis by St. Luke’s Extension Clinic. Applicant should complete the DOT and obtain clearance from St. Luke’s before a visa interview can be scheduled.	Minimum of six (6) months
Embassy Technical Requirements for Visa Issuance	May take one (1) to three (3) business days to complete.

My other Fiance/e Visa related blogs: 
How to take your Foreign Fiance/e to the United States
Our I-129 F Application Process 

Medical Examination Requirements

Medical Examination Experience 

Ref: 

US Embassy Manila K1/ K2 Interview Preparation Instructions