Seattle Marriage/Fiancé Visa Attorney
One of the biggest decisions we make that can impact our lives is getting married. In situations where you are a United States citizen who plans to marry someone from abroad, a whole new level of stress can ensue. If you got married abroad and want to bring your new spouse home to the United States, this can be equally as frustrating because of how U.S. immigration law is a minefield of complexities. ZafiroLaw provides marriage and fiancé visa services to Seattle area residents who need assistance building a new life with their foreign fiancé or spouse by helping to bring them to the United States.
We invite you to contact us to learn more about how we can get this process started and share with you important details about the visa processes.
How Do I Apply for a Marriage or Fiancé Visas in Washington State?
To begin this process, a citizen of the United States, or a green card holder, will need to file an immigration petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Natural-born citizens can file this petition for not only their foreign spouse, but also parents, children, siblings, adult children, and a fiancé.
If you only have a lawful permanent resident status, you can petition for your children, spouse, or unmarried adult children to receive an immigrant visa. The type of paperwork you need to file will depend on the status of your relationship with your loved one.
Filing for a Marriage-Based Visa in Washington
If you got married abroad and now need to bring your spouse home to Kirkland, you will have to complete several steps to obtain a visa for them. The first step involves submitting a petition to USCIS that includes evidence that your marriage is genuine between you and your loved one. This petition, Petition for Alien Relative (Form I-130), will be necessary to prove that you are not trying to circumvent federal immigration law.
Once submitted, and approved you will then begin the consular processing phase, where your spouse will undergo an interview at the consulate in their city or region. This typically will not happen until your initial application gets approved by USCIS and then sent to the National Visa Center (NVC). This agency will then determine if your spouse meets the requirements to qualify for an Immigrant Visa for a Spouse of a U.S. Citizen (IR1 or CR1).
You could opt to pursue a non-immigrant Visa for Spouse (K-3), but this petition must be filed in the country where you both were married. The K-3 visa application will also have to be filed in the same way. While this can take longer, once approved and the visa issued, your spouse can come to the U.S. and wait for their immigrant visa case to complete. This method requires two additional forms:
- Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130
- Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), Form I-129F.
A knowledgeable Seattle marriage/fiancé visa attorney is invaluable throughout the initial application and NVC process. The immigration lawyers of ZafiroLaw have firsthand experience as immigrants navigating the many different regulations and federal laws governing spousal and fiancé visas in Snohomish and King Counties, Washington.
Fiancé Visas
If your current fiancé is a foreign national, a K-1 nonimmigrant fiance visa is what you will need to bring them to the United States to live with you. Your loved one must want to live here and currently live in another country to apply for this option. To receive this visa, you must meet the following qualifications when submitting Form I-129F to the USCIS:
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Plan to marry within 90 days of your fiancé arriving in the U.S.
- Had an in-person meeting with your fiancé within the past two years of filing
- Neither of you is currently married
You both will also need to pass criminal background checks and medical examinations. In addition to these requirements, your foreign fiancé will need to attend a U.S. consulate interview in their home country, much like couples bringing a spouse to America from abroad. At this meeting, officials will determine if your relationship is legitimate and not a fraudulent arrangement to avoid immigration law.
An experienced Seattle marriage/fiancé visa attorney can prove invaluable in advising you both on the type of evidence that U.S. consulate officials need to see that assures your relationship and intent to marry is genuine.
How A Seattle Marriage/Fiancé Visa Attorney Can Help You
Numerous mistakes can get made when submitting evidence of your foreign relationship or marriage when applying for a visa on your own. Regardless of the challenges, you might face during this process, Seattle firm ZafiroLaw has the extensive immigration law experience you need to overcome and bring your spouse or fiancé(e) home from abroad.
Speak with our legal team today at 206-547-9906 or contact us online to set up a consultation and learn more about the U.S. marriage and fiancé visa process. We offer our services in several cities throughout Snohomish County and King County, including Mountlake Terrace, Edmonds, Renton, and Kent, Washington.
