While there are several options when it comes to K visas, these are basically visas that allow foreign nationals who are potential spouses for a citizen of the United States a chance to enter into the country for the purpose of getting married. If the couple are just dating and do not have immediate plans to get married, then this type of visa will not be awarded.

In fact, the marriage will either need to be done quickly or planned out ahead of time. The marriage between the U.S. citizen and the foreign national will need to take place sometime within 90 days of the foreign national entering into the United States. Keep in mind that the actual expiration of the visa is not going to matter as long as the foreign national has complied with all the terms of it.

There are a few things that need to happen before the foreign national is able to get their K-1 status and before they can enter into the United States under this immigration visa. These include:

# There must be a good faith intention for the foreign national and their citizen sponsor to get married. This cannot just be an agreement to help the foreign national get into the country.

# There needs to be the appropriate legal capacity of the two to marry. For example, they both need to be the right age and if either were married before, their marriages were dissolved properly through divorce or annulment.

# The two parties agree to willingly enter into a legal marriage within 90 days after the foreign national enters the United States.

# The prospective wife and husband have met in person within 2 years before filling out the petition to receive this visa status. This means if you have only met online, then you will not be able to apply for this at all.

The K-1 visa is unique in that it does make some provisions for the children of the foreign national to enter as well. They will need to get the K-2 visa to do this as long as they are under the age of 21. This can be filed under the same petition as the primary visa holder to save time and usually will be awarded together.

Navigating through all the rules and paperwork with the K visas can be confusing. With the help of a qualified immigration attorney, you will be able to work through this and get the visa in time for your marriage. The right attorney can also help you to get any K-2 visas that you need as well.