General Information Sheet for Fiancées/Fiancés

The fiancé(e) (K1) visa allows a foreign citizen to enter the United States in order to marry a U.S. citizen. After the marriage takes place, the applicant must apply to change status directly with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

To qualify for a K1 visa, the following criteria must be met:

• one party is a U.S. Citizen;
• both parties are legally free to marry; and
• both parties intend to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e) entering the United States on the fiancé(e) visa.

The first step in applying for a K1 visa is for the U.S. Citizen fiancé(e) (the petitioner) to file a petition, Form I-129F, with the USCIS office having jurisdiction over his/her place of residence in the U.S. The petition can only be filed with USCIS in the United States.

The approved petition is sent to the National Visa Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for additional processing before being forwarded to the Embassy having jurisdiction over the fiancé(e) visa applicant's place of residence.

Children under the age of 21 are eligible to derive status from the K1 visa petition filed on behalf of their parent; their name(s) should be included in the petition. If the U.S. Citizen is the natural parent of the child, the child may have claim to U.S. citizenship and, therefore, may be eligible for a U.S. passport.

Immediately upon receipt of the I-129F Petition at the Embassy in Sarajevo, we mail an instruction letter to the visa applicants.  They have to call the Immigrant Visa Unit to schedule an appointment for a visa interview: tel.: (387 33) 704-072, from 15:00-16:30.