Family services
The fiancé(e) petition, the embassy interview, the 90-day wedding window, and the green card after.
You are a U.S. citizen engaged to someone who lives abroad.
A K‑1 visa lets your fiancé(e) travel to the United States to marry you. Only U.S. citizens can file it, using Form I‑129F. You both must be free to marry, and in most cases you must have met in person within the two years before filing.
After USCIS approves the petition, the case moves to the State Department. Your fiancé(e) completes a visa application, a medical exam with an approved panel doctor, and an interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate. If the visa is issued, they enter the U.S. and you must marry within 90 days.
Then comes the green card application (Form I‑485) from inside the U.S. We plan the whole route at the start, and we tell you honestly when marrying abroad and filing a spousal case might fit your situation better than a K‑1.
Every step has an owner. You always know whether we are waiting on you, on us, or on the government.
Our team
Both of you free to marry, met in person in the last two years (or a reason to ask for a waiver), and no history that needs special disclosure.
Our team
We prepare the I‑129F with proof of your relationship and your plans to marry.
USCIS
USCIS reviews the petition and sends the approved case to the State Department.
U.S. embassy
Your fiancé(e) sees a panel physician and attends the visa interview. We prepare them for it in a practice session.
You
Your fiancé(e) enters on the K‑1 visa and you marry within 90 days.
Our team
We file the I‑485 package so your spouse can stay, work and travel while it is pending.
Many months from petition to embassy interview, then more months for the green card.
Some embassies schedule faster than others, and none of these ranges are fixed. We check current times with you at the start and again when the case moves. We never promise a date.
Why cases waitDo not have everything? That is normal. Luis, our senior paralegal, helps you find or replace missing records.
None of these means your case is over. They mean it needs a plan before anything is filed.
Example outcome
K-1 fiancé visa
Situation: A U.S. citizen engaged to someone living abroad.
What happened: The petition was approved, but the embassy took many months to schedule the interview. Nothing we could file would speed that part. The visa was issued and the couple married inside the 90 days.
Example outcomes describe past matters in general terms, with details changed to protect privacy. Every case is different. They are not a promise or prediction of your result.
More example outcomesIt depends on where you want to marry, how long you can be apart, and your history. A K‑1 gets your fiancé(e) here sooner in some cases; a spousal case gives them a green card on arrival. We lay out both routes with honest ranges in the consultation.
They can apply for a work permit. Most couples file it with the green card application after the wedding, and we plan for it from the start.
The K‑1 cannot be extended, and your fiancé(e) would need to leave the U.S. If plans change, call us before day 90 so we can talk through options.
A 45-minute consultation with an attorney, in English or Spanish. We tell you the route, the flat fee and the honest range.
1820 S Blue Island Ave, Suite 300, Chicago. Near the 18th Street Pink Line stop.
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