Do You Meet the K-1 Visa Requirements? 2025 Eligibility Guide

Before you start the K-1 visa process, you need to know if you actually qualify. If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering: Do we meet the income requirements? Do we have enough relationship proof? Will our application get denied?

These worries are completely normal. The good news? Most engaged couples do meet the K-1 visa requirements. This guide walks you through every requirement so you can move forward with confidence.

What is the K-1 Visa?

The K-1 visa is a nonimmigrant visa that allows U.S. citizens to bring their foreign fiancé(e) to the United States to get married. It’s specifically designed for engaged couples who plan to get married within 90 days of their fiancé(e)’s arrival. Once married, your spouse can then apply for a green card via Adjustment of Status. 

Here’s what makes the K-1 unique: It’s only for fiancé(e)s—if you’re already married, you need a spousal visa (Form I-130). And only U.S. citizens can petition—if you’re a green card holder, you can’t file for a K-1 visa.

The 90-day marriage timeline is firm. No extensions, no exceptions. But don’t worry—that’s plenty of time to plan your wedding and start your life together.

The K-1 Process: Three Stages

Understanding the K-1 visa process helps you know when you’ll need to demonstrate your eligibility with required documents.

Stage 1: USCIS Petition (Form I-129F) – You, the U.S. citizen, file the petition with USCIS. You’ll submit relationship evidence and proof of eligibility. Timeline: 6-11 months.

Stage 2: National Visa Center (NVC) – After USCIS approves your petition, it goes to the NVC for administrative processing. This is largely an internal step. Timeline: ~1 month.

Stage 3: Embassy Interview – You prepare financial documents (Form I-134). Your fiancé(e) completes additional forms (DS-160), undergoes a medical exam, gathers police certificates, collects further relationship evidence, and attends an interview at the U.S. embassy in their country. The K-1 visa is issued by the embassy if approved. Timeline: 2-4 months.

Important:Documents needed for a fianceé(e) visa are submitted at either Stage 1 (petition filing), or at Stage 3 (embassy interview). Plan ahead. Make sure you understand what needs to be submitted at each stage. 

Basic Eligibility

Several fundamental requirements apply to K-1 visa petitions. Both you and your fiancé(e) (the foreign beneficiary) must meet specific criteria.

Petitioner Requirements (You – the US Citizen)

Let’s start with you, the U.S. citizen petitioner. The requirements are straightforward.

You must be a U.S. citizen—not a green card holder. If you’re working toward citizenship, you’ll need to complete naturalization before filing for your fiancé(e). Proof of citizenship will need to be included in your I-129F petition. This could be copies of your U.S. birth certificate, passport, naturalization certificate, or certificate of citizenship. Pick whichever document is easiest for you to get.

You must be legally free to marry. If you were previously married, you’ll need proof that the marriage ended. This could be a divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate. USCIS needs to see your prior marriage is legally over.

Beneficiary Requirements (Your Fiancé/Fiancée)

Now for your fiancé(e). They need to meet a few basic requirements too.

Like you, they must be legally free to marry. If they were married before, they’ll need to show proof that the marriage ended. This could be a divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate. They must also genuinely intend to marry you within 90 days of arriving in the United States. This deadline is firm—no extensions.

Your fiancé(e) must be admissible to the United States. This means no serious criminal history, no immigration violations, and no health conditions that pose public health risks. We’ll dig into this more later—don’t panic if your situation is complex.

Relationship Requirements

Here’s one of the most important K-1 visa requirements: You must have met your fiancé(e) in person within the two years immediately before filing Form I-129F. 

Yes, in person. Video calls and online chats don’t count—USCIS wants proof you were physically together. If you’ve visited your fiancé(e) even once in the past two years, you’re good.

Exceptions to this requirement are extremely rare. USCIS might grant a waiver if meeting would violate your fiancé(e)’s strict religious or cultural customs, or if meeting would cause extreme hardship for you, the U.S. petitioner. But “difficult” doesn’t mean “extreme hardship”—these waivers require substantial proof and are rarely approved.

You also need to show that your relationship is genuineand that you intend to marry. This means a real engagement, not something created just for immigration purposes. We’ll cover how to show this shortly.

Fiancé(e) Visa Requirements: Relationship Evidence

This is where couples feel the most anxiety. How to show your intent to marry? How do you “prove” your relationship is real? How much evidence is enough?

Let’s break this down into manageable pieces. USCIS and embassy officers want to see that you have a genuine relationship—not something created just to get a visa. But they’re not asking you to turn over your entire relationship history. You just need to show a clear picture of your relationship over time.

Proof You’ve Met in Person

Remember that eligibility requirement that you and your fiancé(e) have met in-person within 2 years immediately before submitting your Form I-129F Petition? Here’s how you show it. These are among the most important documents needed for fiance visa approval.

• Passport stamps showing you entered your fiancé(e)’s country (or they entered yours, or you met in a third country) 
• Written statements from you and/or your fiancé(e)
• Flight records and boarding passes from your trips
• Hotel receipts showing you stayed in the same place
• Photos together with dates and locations (your phone probably embeds this data automatically)
• Written statements from family or friends who saw you together

How much do you need? Clear proof of at least one in-person meeting within the past two years. If you’ve visited multiple times, include evidence from a few different visits—it strengthens your case on your intent to marry.

Proof of Intent to Marry

Your I-129F petition needs to include evidence of your intention to marry within 90 days of your fiancé(e) entering the U.S.. Examples include:

• Written statement of intent signed by both you and your fiancé(e)
• Engagement proof like photos of your engagement ring, the proposal, social media announcements, congratulations from friends and family

Proof of Ongoing Relationship

After the petition is approved by USCIS, your fiancé(e) will need to bring additional evidence of your relationship to the embassy interview. Here’s what typically works:

• Communication evidence: Sample screenshots of your texts, WhatsApp messages, emails, or call logs. Choose a few representative exchanges per month spanning your entire relationship.
• Photos (aim for 15-30): Show your relationship progression: early dates, visits together, photos with each other’s families, holidays, your engagement, everyday life. Quality matters more than quantity—30 meaningful photos are better than 200 random selfies.
• Financial connections: Money transfers, shared expenses, gifts you’ve sent. Bank transfers through Western Union, PayPal, or Wise all provide documentation.
• Travel records: Additional trips beyond your first meeting. Flight receipts, hotel bookings, more passport stamps—all showing you make the effort to be together.
• Engagement proof: Photos of your engagement ring, the proposal, social media announcements, congratulations from friends and family.

How much do you need? 

The key is variety, not volume. Ten different types of evidence (messages, photos, travel, financial, family letters, engagement, social media, gifts) beats 100 photos alone. Show your relationship spanning time—from when you first met through your engagement to now. Organize everything chronologically or by category. Add brief notes explaining what things are. Make it easy for the embassy officer to understand your story. You want them thinking “yes, this is clearly a real relationship” within the first few minutes of reviewing your evidence.

Financial Requirements (Form I-134)

Let’s talk about money. We know the K-1 visa income requirements worry a lot of couples, but there’s good news. It’s probably lower than you think.

Income Requirements Overview

You need to show you can financially support your fiancé(e) at 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. This is to ensure your fiancé(e) won’t need government assistance after arriving in the U.S..

You’ll prove this using Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support at the embassy stage. Keep in mind that after you get married and file for your spouse’s green card, you’ll need to show an income above 125% of the poverty guidelines.

Your K-1 visa income requirements depend on your household size. That includes you, your fiancé(e), and any dependents (e.g., children) either of you support.

2025 Poverty Guidelines: The Actual Numbers You Need

Here’s the bottom line. The actual income you need to earn based on 2025 Federal Poverty Guidelines.

For most couples (a household of 2), that’s just $21,150 per year, or $1,762.50 per month. Many couples easily meet this threshold.

These numbers are current for 2025 and update annually. Always verify the current guidelines when you’re ready to file at uscis.gov/i-864p.

Quick Reminder: These are the 100% poverty guideline amounts for your K-1 visa (Form I-134). After you get married and apply for your spouse’s green card, you’ll need to meet 125% of these amounts in Form I-864—plan ahead for that higher requirement.

What Counts as Income

USCIS accepts all legal forms of income. This can include:

• W-2 employment: Your regular salary, wages, and bonuses
• Self-employment income: If you run your own business (you’ll typically need three years of business tax returns)
• Retirement and pension: Social Security, pension payments, or retirement distributions
• Assets: You can use assets that can be converted into cash within 12 months

What If You Don’t Meet the K-1 Income Requirement?

Don’t panic if you fall short. You have options. The most common solution is using a joint sponsor. This is someone who agrees to co-sponsor your fiancé(e) financially. This person needs to meet the 100% poverty guideline themselves based on their own household size.

Joint sponsors are usually parents, siblings, or other close relatives. They complete their own Form I-134 (in addition to yours) and provide their own financial documents. And no, they don’t have to live with you.

Supporting Financial Documents

• Form I-134 (completed and signed)
• Federal tax returns (most recent year, ideally past three years)
• Recent pay stubs (six months)
• Employment verification letter (on company letterhead)
• Asset documentation if supplementing income (bank statements, investment accounts, property appraisals)

Criminal Background & Admissibility

Let’s talk about background checks. If you have a clean record, this section will be quick. If there’s any criminal history or immigration issues in your past, pay close attention—this is important.

Background checks are mandatory for both you (the U.S. petitioner) and your fiancé(e) (the foreign beneficiary). For most couples, this is just a formality. But certain issues can complicate things.

Background Check Requirements

As the U.S. petitioner, you’ll automatically undergo any necessary background and security checks when you file Form I-129F. There is no separate action needed on your part.

For the embassy interview, your fiancé(e) will need police certificates from their current country of residence, plus every country where they’ve lived for 6+ months since age 16. The process varies by country—some issue these quickly, others take months. Start early to avoid delays.

Certain convictions can make your fiancé(e) inadmissible, including immigration violations or drug trafficking. 

Consult an Attorney: If either of you have criminal history, immigration violations (overstays, denials, removal orders), or complex medical inadmissibility issues. Don’t hide history—background checks will reveal it, and failure to disclose constitutes immigration fraud.

Medical Examination Requirements

Your fiancé(e) will need a medical exam. This happens later in the process at the embassy stage so don’t worry about scheduling it yet.

What the Medical Exam Includes

The exam is pretty straightforward. An authorized physician will check for certain diseases, vaccinations, physical or mental conditions, and drug use. The doctor seals the results in Form I-693, which goes directly to the embassy—your fiancé(e) shouldn’t open it.

2025 Vaccination Requirements

While vaccinations are optional for the K-1 visa, they are highly recommended at this stage. They will be needed when your spouse adjusts status to become a permanent resident with a green card after marriage. Most couples complete vaccinations during the K-1 medical exam to avoid repeating the process later. You can find more information on the latest U.S. Immigrant Visa vaccine requirements.

Finding Panel Physicians

Only certain doctors can perform K-1 medical exams. They’re called “panel physicians” and are approved by the State Department. Each embassy maintains a list of approved doctors. You’ll get this list after USCIS approves your petition. You can also find lists on embassy websites. Results are usually valid for 6-12 months depending on the country, so don’t schedule too early. Most couples wait until they have their interview date.

Common K-1 Visa Denial Reasons

Understanding why K-1 visas get denied helps you avoid these mistakes. Here are the five most common denial reasons and how to avoid them:

Preparing Your K-1 Petition for Success

Now that you understand what documents are needed for fiancé(e) visa approval, here’s how to organize your I-129F petition:

• Create a table of contents listing everything you’re submitting. Arrange evidence by category and label photos with dates.
• Write a cover letter (1-2 pages) explaining how you met, your relationship timeline, and why you want to marry. Keep it heartfelt.
• Make copies of your entire petition before mailing. You’ll need these if USCIS requests additional evidence.
• Get professional help if your situation involves criminal history, immigration violations, joint sponsors, or other complexities.

Check out our guide on K-1 visa processing times to understand the timelines – how long each stage takes and what you can do while you wait.

Moving Forward With Confidence

You now have the complete picture of K-1 visa requirements. You know what USCIS needs to see, what income you need to earn, and how to prove your relationship is genuine.

Here’s the truth: Meeting these requirements is absolutely achievable for most couples. If you’re a U.S. citizen, you earn at least $21,150 per year (or have a joint sponsor), you’ve visited your fiancé(e) in the past two years, and you have a real relationship with intent to marry, you’re in good shape.

Thousands of couples successfully navigate this process every year. You’ve got this.