K1 Visa Documents Checklist

K1 Visa Documents Checklist

Filing I-129F K1 Visa Documents Checklist

For many years I have found that the only way to submit the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancee to the USCIS Service Center is by double and triple-checking to make sure everything is there? The way you put the contents of your package together is equally as important.

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Often times I am asked if this or that should be included with my I-129F even if it was not mentioned on the checklist? If you are a do it your-selfer and unsure about your documents then the best answer I can give you is “Send in a photocopy of whatever it is to be on the safe side”.

In this post, a K1 Visa Document refers to items being sent in with the I-129F. A document is not a form or application rather documents are things like government-issued ids such as passport, birth certificate, social security number, photos, etc.

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K1 Visa Document Birth Certificate

A birth certificate is required from the U.S. sponsor petitioner. This supporting document is for USCIS to identify if the country of birth was in the United States. Sponsors having trouble getting their birth certificate follow the below steps.

The sponsor petitioner should make every effort possible to get their U.S. birth certificate, however, if you are unable then USCIS will accept photocopies of every page in your U.S. passport. Make copies of the cover and all pages even if they are blank.

The alien fiancee is not required at this point to provide their birth certificate of the country they were born in. Only at the U.S. Embassy interview will their birth certificate be required.

Proof of citizenship USA

K1 Visa Documents: This section is for the sponsor petitioners who were not born in the United States. You will not be asked to provide a birth certificate rather you will provide photocopies of three items to show your proof of U.S. citizenship.

  • Provide photocopies of every page of your U.S. passport cover-to-cover.
  • Provide a photocopy of your U.S. naturalization certificate.
  • Provide a photocopy of your U.S. citizenship certificate.

Social security number

Normally this is for the U.S. citizen to provide your social security number in the I-129F application when asked for one. A photocopy of your social security card is not ever required.

If the alien fiancee has a U.S. social security number then you will be required to make a photocopy of their card to include with the I-129F Petition.

Passport biographic page

K1 Visa Documents: Normally the U.S. sponsor petitioner is required to make a photocopy of their biographic page again this is about your U.S. Citizenship proof.

But also you should include photocopies of the visa pages that have arrival/departure stamps to show you visited your alien fiancee country.

In some cases, the alien fiancee’s biographic page and visa stamped pages should be photocopied also to show proof that the two of you traveled to other countries together or worked in the same countries together which is one way of proving how you both found each other.

Passport visa pages

Passport visa pages are vacant pages of the U.S. passport where other country’s immigration border patrols place stamps to show your arrival. Upon leaving that country they will also put stamps showing your departure.

Usually, this is only required for the U.S. sponsor petitioner but in some cases, the alien fiancee may be the one to have these also?

Expired visas

This section is for the alien fiancee to provide. If they worked or lived in other countries for a period of 6 months or longer, they shall provide photocopies of old visas inserted in their old passport or possibly located in their current passport.

The reason these are provided is to establish the date line and the type of visa it was in connection to the I-129F Part 2 section about the beneficiary? This lets USCIS and the US embassy know if your alien fiancee needs another country police record or not?

If your alien fiancee has never worked or lived in any other country then ignore this section.

Divorce decrees or annulment

K1 Visa Documents: This section is for the sponsor and the alien fiancee. If either one of you has ever been married one-time two-times three-times or more then you are required to provide certified copies of each divorce decree or annulment certificate.

Death certificate

If the sponsor or alien had a spouse who passed away from a previous marriage then you must provide a certified copy of the death certificate.

Certificate of name change

This is only required if either the sponsor or alien fiancee has ever legally changed their name from their original given birth name? You are required to provide a certificate of name change that matches your passport.

This is not required if you had a maiden name and then a married name, but if you amended your maiden name after a divorce or annulment then provide a certificate of amendment of your maiden name.

Certified police and court records

This is required for both the U.S. sponsor and the alien fiancee. If either one of you have any criminal records that fall under IMBRA, or you have other types of criminal records that you are unsure of, then you really should seek the advice of a professional.

If you have committed crimes that fall under IMBRA then you will be required to provide certified copies of police and court records. In addition, if you have a certificate of completing classes or community services that a judge placed on you then provide copies of those also.

It is oftentimes very helpful to get family members, close friends, co-workers, supervisors, church leaders, government officials, anyone that knows you who sits in an office of higher authority and is willing to type out a good character reference letter that says you a much better person today.

If this is you, then get as many letters as you can and have each one signed before a public notary. Be sure the person full name, their position, home address, phone number, email and who they are to you and how long they have known you.

2×2 passport-style photos

USCIS required 2×2 passport-style photo

K1 Visa Documents: Both the U.S. sponsor and the alien fiancee are required to provide a 2×2 passport-style photo that was made within the last 30 days.

It is also a good idea to include the receipt for your 2×2 photos as a way to let USCIS know the date the photos where made.

Note: It is extremely important that the couple be sure to have their photo studio follow the USCIS specifications so that there will be no rejection of the photo later on.

2×2 photo specifications

Please see the USCIS photo specification guidelines by going [here..]

Couples photos of meeting in person

K1 Visa Documents: The couples are required to provide proof of meeting in person. It is not enough for a sponsor to just show receipts and visa stamps in the U.S. passport. USCIS wants proof that your vacation was to meet your alien fiancee and to spend quality time with them.

It has been known for many years that some men will go to visit more than one woman. USCIS wants couples photos as proof that the sponsor is there for the alien fiancee? They prefer to see pictures of a happy couple.

They will review your couple’s photos and determine if your meeting was genuine and sincere? A total of 10 good quality couples photos are very helpful and can show whether or not the couple was sincere or not?

USCIS prefers whole body shots over selfies. USCIS wants to see some background that gives an indication of what country you are in? Beaches, historical landmarks, hotels, malls, restaurants, attractions, cars, etc… All are helpful forms of landmarks of where you are?

Neatly print the sponsors and the alien fiancee’s full name on the back of each photo. Also, write the date the picture was taken and a brief description of where you both where? Best to have the photos made at Walgreens, CVS, Wal Mart.

Do not print them out yourself they will be rejected.

Photo size anywhere from 4×6 to 5×7 standard size done on glossy print.

Vacation receipts for proof of meeting

K1 Visa Documents: From the sponsor or whoever it was that made the trip to visit one or the other? USCIS will have the following documents to support your claim of meeting in person?

  • Passport biographic page
  • Passport visa pages showing arrival/departure stamps
  • 10 good quality photos of the couple together

Then original trip receipts that are a big help could be things like:

  • Trip itinerary
  • Boarding pass ticket stubs from your flight
  • Hotel vouchers or receipts
  • Restaurant receipts
  • Grocery receipts
  • ATM receipts
  • Transportation receipts
  • Gift receipts
  • Money exchange receipts
  • Anything else you might have that’s not mentioned above

Should I make photocopies of everything

I would highly recommend that the sponsor make back-up copies of every single document that you will be sending in with your I-129F petition.

I have known sponsors in the past believe it or not who failed to do this part and YES! USCIS or the USPS lost the entire I-129F petition and it was not discovered for a couple of months that it got lost?

The pain and agony a couple goes through once they find out that all of their labor in putting the I-129F petition together only to discover months later that it never arrived that its missing in action and can’t be found.

They had to start all over again and had they made back-ups of everything it would have been so much easier, but they didn’t!

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