Mistakes to avoid when applying for a fiancé visa

If you plan to get married in Washington, you may have a long list of things to do to prepare for your wedding. If you or your spouse-to-be lives outside of the United States, you may need to add applying for a visa to your list.

Avoiding some common mistakes can help you navigate this process more easily.

Applying for one you don’t need

A fiancé(e) K-1 nonimmigrant visa is for people living outside the U.S. but plan to marry a U.S. citizen. Having this visa means you intend to get married within 90 days of the foreign party arriving.

However, not every foreign fiancé(e) needs or is eligible for this type of visa. For instance, you may not need or be eligible for a K-1 visa if:

• You are already married
• You are a Canadian citizen
• You have not met each other in person within the last two years
• Either of you is not legally free to marry

Under these circumstances, you can talk to a lawyer about what you must do to ensure proper entry.

Administrative errors in the application

Inaccurate information or leaving out details can be a quick way to have an application denied. Thus, it is essential to be thorough when completing visa forms. You must also have the necessary documentation to support your application, including:

• Proof of citizenship for the U.S. citizen
• The fiancé’s passport
• Sworn statements
• Copies of name change forms
• Proof of divorce or termination of previous marriages
• Most recent tax returns for the U.S. citizen

These are just some of the things you must have, so be sure you do your homework and gather all the paperwork you need.

Being less than honest

You must not lie, misrepresent information, or purposely omit critical details on visa documents or in interviews. Too often, people are untruthful about themselves, their relationships or their partner because they are nervous or feel they need to make a convincing case. 

However, government agents are trained to spot signs of dishonesty. And they generally know a lot more than applicants might think. 

Therefore, no matter what intentions people have when they make untruthful statements to the U.S. government, doing so can be a grave misstep. It can permanently affect a person’s status and permission to enter the country. 

When you avoid these common mistakes, you avoid the legal, financial and logistical fallout they create.