K1 Visa Form I-129F
For many years I have seen changes with the K1 Visa process. But when it comes to the K1 Visa form I-129F, the changes are usually made either in how they ask certain questions or by simply adding more new questions. Common mistakes petitioners make is filing old editions.
Page Jump Menu:
- What is the purpose of the K1 visa form I-129F?
- Where can I get the form I-129F?
- Who can file the form I-129F?
- What is the cost to file the form I-129F?
- Can the form I-129F be completed online?
- Is form I-129F an online submission?
- How do I complete the form I-129F?
- Whos signature goes on the I-129F form?
- Does anything else go together with form I-129F?
- Does the K1 fiancees K2 Child need their own form I-129F?
- Is there a special way to put the form I-129F together?
- How should I package the form I-129F
- Where do I file the form I-129F?
- What will happen next after filing the form I-129F?
- Would you like a free K1 visa evaluation in 24 to 48 hours?
- Are you and your fiancee looking for an affordable K1 Visa assistance?
What is the purpose of the K1 visa form I-129F?
The I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancee is free of charge and can be downloaded to edit and read if your device has the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader on it?
Its purpose is to allow the U.S. citizen to petition his alien fiance with a K1 Visa and the children with K2 visas to the USA.
The only other uses of the form I-129F is to be used in part with the I-130 to petition your alien spouse as a K3 and the children of your spouse with the K4 visa.
Where can I get the form I-129F?
To download the free latest version of the K1 visa form I-129F [Go to uscis.gov forms…]
The form I-129F has a total of (13) pages
It is very important that you use the current edition. You can find the edition date at the bottom of each page to make sure you have the current edition?
USCIS is always using the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is very important that any device you open the form I-129F on to read, edit or print out has the latest version. It’s FREE.
Who can file the form I-129F?
- You may file the K1 Visa form I-129F only if you are a U.S. Citizen.
. - File form I-129F if you have an alien fiancee.
. - If you are both legally free to marry.
. - You both intend to marry each other within 90-days of their admission into the USA.
. - And you must have met each other in person within two years of filing the form I-129F.
. - If two years gone by since your last meeting in person, another meeting will be required.
What is the cost to file the form I-129F?
The cost of filing the K1 Visa form I-129F is currently $535.
USCIS fee increases don’t happen very often maybe once every 5-years.
The U.S. petitioner is responsible for paying the filing fee within the U.S.A.
The filing fee is paid together with the form I-129F when you mail the petition to USCIS.
Payment Methods can only be done in:
- Personal check
- Money order
- You now can file form G-1450 Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
The check or money order must be drawn on a bank or other financial institution located in the United States and must be payable in U.S. currency;
Make the check or money order payable to U.S. Department of Homeland Security
NOTE: Spell out U.S. Department of Homeland Security; do not use the initials “USDHS” or “DHS.” your I-129F Petition will be rejected and sent back to you.
NOTE: The filing fee is not refundable, regardless of any action USCIS takes on this petition.
DO NOT MAIL CASH. You must submit all fees in the exact amounts.
You can find more instructions located here in pdf. format at uscis.gov I-129F instructions.
Can the form I-129F be completed online?
Once the petitioner sponsor has gone to the USCIS forms page and downloaded the I-129F application, it can be edited as long as the device being used had the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader on it.
The petitioner can type in the answers of himself and his alien fiancee then save it to his computer and later print all of the pages out when he is satisfied everything was completed properly? When it is ready you can mail it to the USCIS service center.
If you do not want to complete it online and prefer to handwrite the answers in, you’ll need to use a black ballpoint pen. Before dong this you will need to print out all (13) pages even if some of them will be left empty.
Note: If you plan to handwrite the answers in you really need to use good penmanship. I have known in the past some who did not want to type in the answers online instead they handwritten in their answers and submitted the I-129F with less than perfect penmanship.
Later on, the petitioner received the I-797 Notice of Action approval letter and found out the spelling of his alien fiancee was wrong? This could have been avoided by either typing the answers online or using better handwriting.
Because of this problem he needed to contact USCIS to inform them of the incorrect spelling of the alien fiancee name which is a bit of a hassle and added an additional waiting period of six more weeks. We always type the answers in because mistakes are a lot less when you do.
Is form I-129F an online submission?
USCIS does not allow the I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancee to be submitted online. Due to the many supporting documents and photos and the need for a wet signature, the K1 Visa form I-129F will need to be packaged and mailed to the USCIS K1 unit located in Dallas, TX.
How do I complete the form I-129F?
Ok for those of you who plan to do this yourself it is super important that you take your time and read each and every question carefully?
Making one tiny mistake can turn into a major hassle later on if you have to try and get it fixed after the I-129F is already submitted at USCIS?
They literally do want that you make sure all of your (t’s) are crossed and your (i’s) are dotted. That’s why you need to take your time and go over these things at least three times before submitting it to USCIS.
Important: The I-129F application is only to be completed by the sponsor and not the alien fiancee. However, you will need to gather all of the information from your fiancee either by chatting with her online or having her email her portion of the needed information?
Getting started: You will notice that on page 1, 2, 3, 4, there is a Part 1. Everything under Part 1 is questions that the (sponsor – petitioner) must answer. If your unsure of who is the sponsor – petitioner that is the U.S. citizen.
USCIS prefers that you leave questions empty if it does not apply to you? You do not have to put N/A in every single non-applicable question. USCIS hates a sloppy looking application and with that being said we encourage you to keep it looking neat and professional.
Ok! in order to avoid getting an RFE – Request for Evidence in the mail, later on, we want you to be sure to not leave any gaps in dates of all addresses you lived at and all of your employers. When they say they want you to provide back at least 5 years they mean it!
If you run out of room with things like street addresses which is common then you will need to go to the last page (13) and provide the complete address and type in the page number, Part 1 and the question number.
The next section covers the alien fiance Part 2
Next is about your alien fiancee under Part 2 pages 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Again you must provide at least 5 years on her addresses lived at and employment history if she has any? Make sure you read all the questions carefully and double-check that you spelled names right and got the dates right too?
On pages 8 and 9 under Part 3 this is about the sponsor – petitioner again.
On page 9 under Part 4 this is about the sponsor – petitioner also.
On page 10 under Part 5, this is also about the sponsor – petitioner.
Anything under Part 6 then Part 7 you will leave those empty if you are doing this yourself?
On page 13 Part 8 is a section that you can put information that may not have fit in the application above.
You may go here to see the I-129F instructions on pdf
Whos signature goes on the I-129F form?
Important reminder don’t forget to sign your name and date with black ink. Page 10 questions 6a. and 6b. It is the U.S. citizen’s responsibility to put their signature on the form I-129F application.
Does anything else go together with form I-129F?
The K1 Visa form I-129F is only the main application that a U.S. sponsor would use for developing his and the alien fiancee’s case. Everyone who files the I-129F petition for alien fiancee may have different circumstances that would require more or less documents with their petition.
Below is a list of required items that everyone must provide in their I-129F Petition.
- G-1145 Electronic Communication https://www.uscis.gov/g-1145
- I-129F Cover Letter.
- I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancee https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f
- The filing fee payable as a money order or personal check.
- A Fiance/Fiancee Letter of Intent from each person.
- 2×2 passport-style photos made within 30 days from each person (See pg 10 question 5)
- Proof of U.S. Citizenship – either birth certificate, naturalization, certificate of citizenship.
- U.S. sponsors passport biographic page.
- Proof of meeting – couples photos, trip receipts, U.S. passport visa stamps.
For couples who have more in their situation, you must provide the following items.
- If either has been married before provide all previous marriage documents that apply.
Certified divorce decrees, Annulment certificates, Death certificates, Common law marriage.
. - If either has criminal records that fall under IMBRA then provide certified Police and Court records regardless if it has been expunged or happened many years ago.
. - If either of you had name changes or other legal names then provide certified copies of name change certificates. If your name has been amended provide proof of that also.
. - If both of you have met or been together in other countries due to a work visa or vacation then provide photocopies of the visa pages in your passports.
. - If the petitioner sponsor has filed for another K1 or spouse visa before then you must be able to provide supporting documents things like Alien number, date, and place of filing, date approved, all names of that person used. USCIS could later ask for more information?
Note: Like I said before every case is different. I have learned of many couples that had some particularly unusual thing that needed to be included with their petition. If you are in doubt of something then I suggest you included it even if not mention in USCIS instructions or mine?
If USCIS or later on the US Embassy interviewers are not satisfied they will send you an RFE – Request for Evidence or send you home with a 221(g).
Does the K1 fiancees K2 Child need their own form I-129F?
Many K1 Visa couples get confused about this part and often are not sure what if anything at all is needed on behalf of a K2 child during the I-129F filing?
Let me start by saying that the K2 child or children are derivatives of their K1 parent. USCIS does not charge any additional filing fee nor do they require an additional I-129F application or photos, birth certificates of the child.
If you have an unmarried child age 20 that you would like to include as a K2 child then they can come to the U.S. with their K1 Visa parent as long as they do not turn age 21 before they receive their K2 Visa?
K2 is a derivative of the K1. So what this means is that the K1 parent must first file the I-129F which includes needed information about the sponsor, information about the beneficiary which is most important at this time. The K2 child information is mentioned very little in the I-129F.
So right now just getting the sponsor and the beneficiary approved is the top priority. Once the I-129F petition has been approved then the K2 child will come into the picture and all of the below items will be required from them.
All of which will be used only at the U.S. Embassy interview.
- Birth Certificate
- Unexpired Passport
- 2X2 passport-style photos
- DS-160
- Medical Exam
- K2 child above age 16 needs a certified police record
- In some cases certified proof that the biological other parent is allowing the child to immigrate?
Is there a special way to put the form I-129F together?
The way each sponsor puts the K1 Visa Form I-129F petition together is, in my opinion, a very “Big Deal”. For years all of our K1 clients get a step-by-step layout to walk them through on how to present to USCIS their I-129F petition?
Think of it like this! You’re an employee at USCIS Dallas TX working in the K-1 unit. You go to work Monday morning after having a nice relaxing weekend with friends and family. When you return to work, your not ready to dive into a petition that’s unorganized with pages out of place.
Your I-129F petition could get set aside while that USCIS employees picks up somebody else’s who sent theirs in neat and organized. Just remember that USCIS is human like the rest of us and have good days and bad days. Petitions put together nice and organized get more attention.
USCIS does not have any specific order or layout instructions
The best I can tell you is that common sense on how to organize the petition for USCIS is required. Below is how our K1 Clients place their petition. If you have extra as a couple you may need to place those items in a separate folder and put a title and your full name on the folder.
Starting with items that will be at the top of the pile:
| 1. G-1145 | 11. Beneficiaries Fiance Letter of Intent |
| 2. I-129F Cover Letter | 12. Beneficiaries 2×2 passport-style photo |
| 3. Filing fee check or money order | 13. If applicable divorce decree or death |
| 4. I-129F Application | 14. If applicable court and police records |
| 5. Sponsors birth certificate or proof of citizenship | 15. Beneficiaries visa pages if they traveled |
| 6. Sponsors US passport biographic page | 16. Beneficiaries visas from other countries |
| 7. Sponsors divorce decrees or death certificate | 17. Beneficiaries passport biographic page |
| 8. Sponsors 2×2 passport-style photo | 18. Couples photos of meeting |
| 9. Sponsors Fiance Letter of Intent | 19. Sponsors receipts from trip of meeting |
| 10. If applicable sponsors court and police records | 20. Sponsors visa stamped pages |
The above items mentioned are the most common however some of the items may not be required depending on your situation? Some other items the couple may have could be a name change certificate or annulment certificate?
How should I package the K1 visa form I-129F
I prefer that the I-129F petition be packaged for transit in such a way that all of my pages and documents won’t get bent or creased before USCIS receives them? Nobody wants our pictures to be bent or lost either. You put to much work into this for it to end up ruined!
We always prefer to buy good durable folders without pockets without metal rings just plane folders preferably vanilla color is more official-looking. So go to your local office supply store and pick up two or three strong folders to hold 8 1/2 x 11 size pages.
Some ask me if it is ok to buy transparent folders with sleeves to slide things inside? The truth is everything you send to USCIS is going to be dismantled pulled apart and if USCIS has to pull your form and other documents out of sleeves this only makes their job more difficult.
Just take everything with the exception of the I-129F (13) pages that can be held together with a staple in the upper left-hand corner. Everything else that has more than one page to it can be held with paper clips.
Next place everything inside the durable folder then clamp it shut on all four sides using what I call the gator clamps. This will prevent everything from shifting while in transit. If things shift and USCIS opens it, small things like 2×2 pictures can fall out and get lost.
You can use USPS to ship the I-129F petition or use an expedited service such as FedEx, DHL or UPS. I highly recommend that if you use the USPS get a delivery signature confirmation so that you have confirmation that USCIS received your package.
Peace of mind is very important while shipping something like this because if it got lost in the mail which I have heard of that happening and the petitioner doesn’t know anything about it because they just think it’s sitting at USCIS?
Where do I file the form I-129F?
You don’t want to mess this part up! I have known many couples who went months thinking that their I-129F petition was sitting at the USCIS service center awaiting its turn to be processed. Non-client sponsors would call me to ask if I could help them get a progress report?
And yes it has even happened to some of my K1 clients who followed my instructions exactly.
After doing a few step-by-step checks I would tell that sponsor that you either sent the petition to the wrong address or yours got lost in the mail? This happens often even if they sent it to the correct address.
Heres what you need to know to minimize the chances of this happening to you?
- Be absolutely sure your mailing to the right address.
- Be absolutely sure your mailing address is correct.
- Be sure that the USPS knows where your package is to be delivered too.
- Pay extra and get a delivery signature confirmation.
- Remember the G-1145 Electronic Communication form informs you by text and email.
- If your using an expedited service be sure to keep up with your tracking.
- If you wrote a check pay attention if they cashed it, normal time is only 3 to 5 days.
If more than two weeks have gone by and you haven’t received a text message or email check your spam also. To me, even two weeks is really long but giving them the benefit of the doubt, by going no more than two weeks.
Normal time to hear from them in text and or email is usually about 4 to 5 days. Things to take notice of if two weeks have gone by?
- No delivery signature confirmation
- No text message no email
- Your check has not been cashed yet
- You haven’t received in the mail your NOA1 I-797C receipt
What this means is something went wrong!
And you may never be able to get to the bottom of what happened? Most sponsors that this happened to had to start all over again. But give this a try before starting over again.
- Try to call USCIS and see if they have your package?
- Go to the post office and try to ask them to track your package.
I knew of one guy before who never received a text message or email notification and had waited two months and he told me he never received in the mail his NOA1 I-797C receipt either?
So he called USCIS and they were able to identify that he indeed was the sponsor and that his I-129F petition was received and that they did send his NOA1 I-797C receipt in the mail but it had got lost or someone stole it out of his mailbox?
He couldn’t track the filing fee either because he paid with a money order and had no way of knowing that the money order had been cashed.
If this ever happened to you then you probably would be crying wishing that you had made a complete backup copy of every single piece of paperwork. The only thing you can do is start over and send it again if you can’t find the last package?
Below is the correct delivery address where to send your I-129F Petition.
| Normal USPS send here | Expedited delivery send here |
| USCIS Attention: K-1 Unit P.O. Box 660151 Dallas, TX 75266 | USCIS Attn: I-129F 2501 South State Highway 121 Business Suite 400 Lewisville, TX 75067 |
What will happen next after filing the form I-129F?
For a normal delivery time usually, within 3 to 5 days after USCIS gets your I-129F Petition, they will send you a text message any probably email you a receipt? So always take a look in your spam mail for that in case it got filtered out from your inbox?
Then about 7 to 10 working days you are supposed to receive in the mail the receipt known as the NOA1 I-797C Notice of Action. You really need to safeguard that for later use.