Fiancé visa (K-1)

This page is for people who are engaged to a U.S. citizen and will marry in the United States. The process begins when the U.S. citizen fiancé files Form I-129F with USCIS, continues with an interview at the Embassy in Ankara, and is completed with marriage within 90 days in the United States and a green card application. In Türkiye, only the U.S. Embassy Ankara handles fiancé visas. Below you will find every step, the documents, the Ankara panel physician’s address, fees, and official forms.

• The petition must be filed by a U.S. citizen. Green card holders cannot bring a fiancé on this visa.
• Both of you must be legally free to marry. Previous marriages must have ended by divorce, the spouse’s death, or annulment. The marriage must be legally possible under the law of the U.S. state where it will take place.
• You must have met in person at least once within the 2 years before filing the petition. A waiver may be requested in two situations: if the meeting would violate a long-standing and strict custom in the fiancé’s culture, or if it would cause extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen.
• You must intend to marry within 90 days after entering the United States. The marriage must be genuine and not solely for immigration purposes.
• Situations in which a K-1 cannot be obtained: if you are already married, will marry abroad, or your fiancé is legally residing in the United States. In this case, use the green card route for a spouse: 3.2 Green card through family.
• A person subject to the two-year home-country residence requirement after a J-1 program cannot obtain a K visa without fulfilling the requirement or obtaining a waiver. See 2.3 Exchange visitor (J-1).

1. The U.S. citizen fiancé completes Form I-129F. The petition cannot be filed at a U.S. embassy or USCIS offices abroad.
2. Fee: $675 (2026 fee schedule).
3. Include with the petition:
   • proof of U.S. citizenship: birth certificate, certificate of citizenship, or a copy of a U.S. passport valid for at least 5 years
   • proof that previous marriages ended: final divorce decree, annulment decree, or death certificate
   • one color photo of each of you, 2×2 inches, taken within the last 30 days
   • statements signed by both of you showing your intent to marry
   • proof that you met in person during the last 2 years: airline tickets, passport pages, and a written explanation describing the meeting
   • proof of any name change; Form G-28 if there is an attorney
4. Every document in a foreign language must include a complete English translation and the translator’s certification of accuracy.
5. Do not send: items containing electronic components, CDs or USB drives, DNA samples, or intimate photographs.
6. USCIS may schedule a biometrics appointment. If you do not attend, the petition may be denied.
7. IMBRA rules: the U.S. citizen must disclose protection orders and certain criminal history; USCIS shares this information with the fiancé. If you have previously filed two or more fiancé petitions, or had a petition approved within the last 2 years, you must also request a waiver.
8. If the fiancé’s unmarried children under 21 will come, list their names on the I-129F (K-2).

1. After USCIS approves the petition, it sends it to the National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC assigns a case number and sends the case to Ankara.
2. When the NVC informs you that the case has been sent to Ankara, submit the fiancé’s email address, full name, and case number using the form on the Embassy’s K-1 page. The Embassy will send the appointment information by email.
3. Before the appointment, pay the $265 K visa fee through ustraveldocs.com. Each K applicant, including children, pays a separate fee.
4. Before the interview, register the document delivery address through ustraveldocs.com or the Visa Information Hotline. Bring the registration confirmation to the interview.
5. Complete the medical examination at the panel physician before the interview (see below).
6. Application form: the State Department’s general K-1 page refers to the DS-160, while Ankara’s K-1 document list requests the DS-260 confirmation page. Determine which form to complete according to the instructions sent to you by the NVC and the Embassy.
7. Petition validity: an approved I-129F is valid for 4 months from the approval date; the consulate may extend the period. If it expires before the interview, bring a signed letter from the U.S. citizen fiancé confirming that you are still legally free to marry and will marry within 90 days after entry.

• the application form confirmation page and proof of document-delivery registration
• passport: valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry to the United States
• panel physician’s examination results
• 2 color photographs, 5×5 cm (2×2 inches)
• birth certificate: original and translation. In Türkiye, a population registry copy or multilingual birth registration sample (Formül A); it can be obtained with a QR code through e-Devlet and is free
• previous marriage: original or certified copy of the final divorce decree (also obtainable through the UYAP Citizen Portal), or a record showing the spouse’s death
• military service document: for men over 17. In Türkiye, the “Military Status Certificate,” available through e-Devlet
• police certificate: for people over 16. In Türkiye, an “archived-record” criminal record certificate, available free through e-Devlet, courthouse criminal-record offices, or consulates. Police certificates are also required from other countries where you lived for more than 6 months.
• certified copies of every court and prison record if there has been an arrest or conviction
• financial support: Form I-134 or other evidence. Form I-864 is not required at this stage. The U.S. fiancé’s income on Form I-134 must be at least 100% of the federal poverty guideline.
• relationship evidence: photographs, emails, telephone and correspondence records, and travel tickets
• any former passport containing a valid U.S. visa

• The examination may be performed only by a physician authorized by the Embassy; reports from other physicians are not accepted.
• Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ungan / Dr. Handan Ungan
  • Address: Atatürk Boulevard No: 237, Floor 4, Nos. 44–45, Ankara
  • Telephone: +90 850 532 84 72
  • Hours: Monday–Friday 09:00–19:00, Saturday 09:00–13:00
  • Appointments: doctorun.com
• Fee: standard examination $270 (blood, urine, chest X-ray, and physical examination). Additional tests incur additional fees. Vaccination fees are $20–$200 depending on age and required vaccines. Fees are nonrefundable.
• Bring: appointment letter, passport, form confirmation page, vaccination records if available, chronic illness records, medications you take, and glasses.
• Results may be provided in a sealed envelope. Do not open the envelope; bring it to the interview.
• The report is generally valid for 6 months. The visa’s validity is limited by the report’s validity.
• Vaccinations are not required for a K visa; however, they are required when applying for a green card after marriage. You are advised to complete your vaccinations during the examination. Keep the vaccination document sent by the physician by email.

• The K-1 visa is single-entry and valid for a maximum of 6 months.
• The consulate provides a sealed document packet with the passport. Do not open the packet; only a CBP officer may open it at the border.
• The K-1 holder must enter before or together with K-2 children. If the children arrive within 1 year after the K-1 visa is issued, a separate petition is not required.
• At entry, you are granted a stay of 90 days. This period cannot be extended. A K-1 cannot be changed to another visa type.
• You must marry the petitioner within 90 days.
• Turkish citizens must report a marriage performed abroad to the consulate or population directorate within 30 days.
• If you do not marry, you must leave the United States. If you do not, you may be removed and your future applications may be affected.
• If you marry after 90 days, use the Form I-130 route for a spouse. As a rule, a person who entered with a K-1 cannot apply for a green card through another route.

• After marriage, apply for a green card from within the United States using Form I-485. Fee: $1,440 (paper) or $1,390 (online).
• Include in the filing:
  • a copy of the I-129F approval notice (I-797) and marriage certificate
  • 2 passport-style photographs, photo ID, and birth certificate
  • visa page in the passport, entry stamp, and I-94 record
  • the U.S. spouse’s Form I-864 Affidavit of Support
  • Form I-693 medical report, if required. If you had the examination abroad, another examination may not be required; however, you must show that you meet the vaccination requirements.
• Usually both spouses are called for an interview.
• If the marriage is less than 2 years old when approved, a 2-year conditional green card is issued. Remove the condition by filing Form I-751 during the 90 days before the card expires. See 3.10 Conditional green card.
• K-2 children file separate I-485 applications at the same time as or after the parent. They must remain unmarried. The step-parent relationship, meaning the marriage, must have been established before the child turned 18.

• Immediately after entry: Form I-765 (category (a)(6)). This authorization is valid only for the 90 days after entry and cannot be renewed. Fee: $520 (paper) or $470 (online).
• With I-485: if Form I-765 is filed, the authorization is valid for 1 year and may be extended for 1 year at a time. If your fee-paid I-485 filed after April 1, 2024, is pending, the I-765 fee is $260.
• Do not begin working before the EAD card arrives.

• USCIS Dallas Lockbox — Form I-129F
  • Mail (USPS): USCIS, Attn: I-129F, P.O. Box 660151, Dallas, TX 75266-0151
  • Courier (FedEx, UPS, DHL): USCIS, Attn: I-129F (Box 660151), 2501 South State Highway 121 Business, Suite 400, Lewisville, TX 75067-8003
• U.S. Embassy Ankara — all immigrant and fiancé visas
  • Address: Çukurambar Mahallesi, 1480 Sokak No: 1, 06530 Çankaya / Ankara
  • Telephone: +90 312 294 00 00
  • Written inquiry: immigrant visa inquiry form on the contact page
• Visa Information Hotline (fees, appointments, document delivery): from Türkiye +90 850 390 1950, from the United States +1 313 572 0883.
• NVC: Public Inquiry Form
• USCIS Contact Center: +1 800 375 5283 (TTY +1 800 767 1833), Monday–Friday 08:00–20:00 (U.S. Eastern Time).
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: +1 800 799 7233 (TTY +1 800 787 3224). In an emergency, call 911.

• Read the “Rights and Protections” pamphlet before the interview. The consular officer summarizes the pamphlet during the interview.
• The pamphlet explains your rights against domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in the United States. The Turkish version is available.
• USCIS criminal-history information about the U.S. fiancé obtained from other agencies is provided to you.

• Marrying abroad or in Türkiye and then applying for a K-1 anyway.
• Failing to include proof of meeting in person during the last 2 years.
• Failing to list the fiancé’s children on the I-129F.
• Not obtaining an “archived-record” criminal record certificate.
• Opening the envelope provided by the panel physician or the document packet provided by the consulate.
• Missing the 90-day deadline and then trying to remain through adjustment of status.
• Failing to bring the fiancé’s intent letter when the petition’s 4-month validity expires.

• I am a green card holder. Can I bring my fiancé with a K-1? No. The K-1 is only for fiancés of U.S. citizens.
• We married in Türkiye. Can we obtain a K-1? No. Married couples use the spouse green card route.
• Can I extend the 90 days after entering with a K-1? No. The period cannot be extended, nor can you change to another visa.
• Are documents not in English accepted at the interview? Ankara’s list requires the original and translation for documents such as the birth certificate.
• Can I have the medical examination with another physician? No. Only a panel physician on the Embassy’s list is accepted.
• Must my children come with me? No. They may come with a K-2 within 1 year after your K-1 is issued, but they cannot enter before you.

• Form I-129F (PDF)
• Form I-129F instructions (PDF)
• K-1 process overview, USCIS (PDF)
• Ankara K-1/K-2 visa instructions (PDF)
• Form I-134, Affidavit of Support (PDF)
• Form I-134 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-485 (PDF)
• Form I-485 instructions (PDF)
• Form I-864 (PDF)
• Form I-765 (PDF)
• Rights and protections pamphlet – Turkish (PDF)
• USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (PDF)
• Application status inquiry (CEAC)
• USCIS case status and processing times