K-1 visa processing time

The K-1 path, step by step

A K-1 visa lets the foreign fiancé(e) of a U.S. citizen travel to the U.S. to marry. Three agencies handle it in turn, and only the first one publishes a figure we can show.

Steps as USCIS describes them on its fiancé(e) visas page. Because the consulate step varies by country and we have no official figure for it, we do not add the steps into one total.

What the I-129F data says

Source: USCIS, All Forms by Quarter, FY2026 Q3. Of the 9,273 decisions, 6,966 were approvals and 2,307 were denials, a denial share of 24.9% (our calculation: denials divided by decisions). The report does not split K-1 petitions from K-3 petitions for spouses, which use the same form. The monthly report to Congress for August 2026 has no I-129F line.

The median covers petitions USCIS finished in the quarter. For the range USCIS shows today, use its processing times page, which sits behind a security check, so we link it instead of copying it.

What USCIS asks for with a K-1 petition, per its I-129F page:

• Evidence that you both intend to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e)‘s admission.
• Evidence that you met in person within two years before filing, unless an exception applies.
• Proof of your U.S. citizenship and of the end of any prior marriages.

The I-129F is filed at the USCIS Dallas lockbox, and the fee on the G-1055 is $675 for a paper filing. USCIS cannot decide this form at its international offices.

From USCIS approval to the consulate

After approval, USCIS sends the petition to the State Department’s National Visa Center (NVC). The NVC forwards it to the U.S. embassy or consulate where your fiancé(e) lives, and the consulate schedules the visa interview. If the visa is issued, it is valid for up to six months for a single entry, according to USCIS.

The State Department runs this part and posts its own times. Its K-1 visa page lists the steps, and its visa appointment wait times page shows the wait at each embassy. We do not copy those figures. For what the NVC does and why we show no NVC time, see NVC processing time.

After arrival: marriage, I-485 and work permit

At the port of entry, a CBP officer decides whether to admit your fiancé(e). Then:

1. Marriage within 90 days. K-1 and K-2 status ends after 90 days and cannot be extended. Children on K-2 visas must be unmarried and under 21.
2. Form I-485. After the marriage, your spouse applies for the green card from inside the U.S. USCIS says an immigrant visa is always available to a K-1 who marries the petitioner within 90 days (USCIS fiancé(e) green card page). Family-based I-485s had a median of 7 months in April to June 2026, and an average of 12.4 months in August 2026 (I-485 processing time). USCIS does not report K-1 adjustments on their own line. The I-485 fee is $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online (G-1055).
3. Interview, if any. USCIS may schedule one for the I-485; the status then reads “Case Is Ready To Be Scheduled For An Interview”.
4. Conditional card. If you have been married less than two years when the I-485 is approved, your spouse gets a two-year conditional green card. Before it expires, you file Form I-751 together: see I-751 processing time.

For a work permit, USCIS says a K-1 may file Form I-765 right after admission, but that permit is valid only for the 90 days after entry (fiancé(e) visas page). With a pending I-485, your spouse can generally apply for a work permit again with Form I-765 (fiancé(e) green card page). See I-765 processing time for the current medians. To follow the I-485 online, see green card status.

If your case is outside normal processing time

The I-129F and the I-485 are USCIS cases; the visa steps between them are not. Compare your receipt date with the I-129F time on the processing times page; USCIS does not research cases still within it. Past that time, the petitioner can use e-Request or the Contact Center. USCIS may expedite a case for severe financial loss, an emergency or urgent humanitarian situation, or a clear USCIS error, at its discretion (expedite requests). If the petitioner moves while the I-129F is pending, update the address.

Once the approved petition reaches the NVC or the consulate, the State Department’s pages are the place to check. You can read what each USCIS status message means in our status index. The YourCaseStatus app (coming soon) will alert you when your status changes. For every form, see the processing times hub.

Official links

• USCIS Form I-129F
• USCIS fiancé(e) visas
• Check your case status
• USCIS processing times
• State Department K-1 visa page