Timing of Visa

[Heatherweather 0]

Hi,

I am getting ready to sponsor my fiance for the K-1 fiance visa. I have a question regarding timing. I know that I have 90 days to marry my fiance once we have this visa. My question is, does that 90 days start from the time that he is actually granted the visa at his appointment or does the 90 days to get married start from the time he enters the United States. If the 90 day window does not start until he enters the US, how long does he have from the time the visa to enter on a K-1 visa.

Thank you very much for any help or experience with this!

[Girl from Celebes 588]

The clock is start ticking when after he entered the US.

[Pitaya 2,577]

Welcome to the forum.

For the K1 visa: The alien fiance(e) has 90 days from their US POE arrival to marry their USC petitioner. The alien fiance(e) can travel to the US at any time during the expressed validity dates of their K1 visa. Realize that the K1 visa is a one-way, one-time visa that will be void upon the alien fiance(e)'s US POE arrival.

For further information, , easily accessible at the top of the forum page. In particular, review the K1 Flowchart: http://www.visajourney.com/content/k1flow

Good luck on your immigration journey.

[Lainie B 465]

The visa itself is usually valid for 6 months, ie you have 6 months from the day the visa is granted to enter the US. Then once you enter the US, the 90 day window to marry starts, as others have stated above. However the 6-month validity can sometimes be less, if you had an early medical exam.

[Heatherweather 0]

Thank you all! I found all of the replies very helpful. I just wanted some other clarification because I called the USCIS hotline and the woman told me that from the date of the interview the 90 day window started which I thought contradicted other documents I had read.

Thanks!

[Pennycat 880]

Thank you all! I found all of the replies very helpful. I just wanted some other clarification because I called the USCIS hotline and the woman told me that from the date of the interview the 90 day window started which I thought contradicted other documents I had read.

Thanks!

While I have no experience with this yet myself (and pray to heaven that I won't have to), I have heard that the USCIS hotline is not always.....helpful. Or accurate. I'd call back and let someone know what a gross error was told to you. Only way to improve the system is to start getting records of errors. It may fall on deaf ears, but at least you let someone know.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Thank you all! I found all of the replies very helpful. I just wanted some other clarification because I called the USCIS hotline and the woman told me that from the date of the interview the 90 day window started which I thought contradicted other documents I had read.

Thanks!

For a London interview--the visa will be valid for exactly 6 months from the visa medical date. That means that there will be a window of 5 months or less to use it following the interview. London will not even put you in the queue to get assigned an interview until the medical results are received by the embassy. The interview could easily follow the medical by 6 weeks, then another week to receive the visa in hand (if all goes well).

When the fiancé enters the US on a K1 visa, the passport/visa is stamped with a date showing an entry of 90 days allowed in the US. The officer at POE normally reminds the entrant of the 90 day window (starting that day) and says to marry before the date written by the entry stamp.

The actual K1 visa is invalidated at that time because it is a one time use visa. You can't leave the US and come back in with it a second time. So even if the visa date doesn't expire for another four months, it is over on POE date when used for entry. The date that becomes important at that point is the 90 day entry given at POE and recorded on the I-94 entry record which can be obtained online and printed out for use with getting a SSN and applying for adjustment of status.