All You Need to Know About the US K3 Visa

Have you ever heard of the US K3 Visa – nonimmigrant Visa for a spouse? If you have not, you do not have to worry. We are here to tell you all you need to know about the K3 Visa, including what it is and how you can get it for your spouse.

The K3 nonimmigrant Visa is a Visa that is intended for a foreign spouse of a United States citizen. This means that you need to get this Visa if your spouse is someone who is not a citizen of the United States.

The K3 Visa is used as a permit for your foreign spouse to be able to stay in the United States for a certain period. Once this Visa has expired, your spouse will not be able to stay in the United States any longer. However, your spouse can apply to be a permanent US citizen before that happens.

Like we have said before, anyone who is a foreign citizen who has a US citizen spouse can apply for a US K3 Visa – nonimmigrant Visa for a spouse. This kind of Visa is usually intended to be a temporary Visa before your foreign spouse is approved for an immigrant visa petition. If your foreign spouse has this kind of Visa, they will be able to enter the United States with a clear permit. That way, you will be able to see your spouse and not be separated from them. The K3 Visa helps spouses shorten their physical separation by allowing your foreign spouse to enter the United States.

There are several processes that you need to go through when you are trying to apply for a K3 Visa. As a US citizen, you need to fully participate in the process of applying for a K3 Visa for your spouse as the US citizen sponsor.

Step 1:  You need to file a form called the Form I-130.

Step 2: You also need to file Form I-129F and wait for the approval of those forms by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Step 3: Begin to apply for the K-3 visa by scheduling an interview at a U.S. consulate.

Step 4: Gather necessary documents for visa application

Step 5: Make an official medical examination from an authorized physician.

Step 6: Attend a visa interview on time.

If the applicant’s visa petition is approved, the consular officer will give his or her passport (now containing a K-3 visa) back, along with a sealed packet containing the documents s/he provided, plus additional document from the consulate or embassy.

The next thing that we are going to discuss is the fees for obtaining a K3 Visa. The fees are charged for several services when you are applying for a K3 Visa. Those services are mostly for the application processing fees, medical examination, and other costs such as photocopying charges, travel expenses, and so on. You can check the USCIS website to see the current fees for the K3 Visa.

The length of the processing time of K3 Visas varies depending on the circumstances. On average USCIS takes 3-5 months to process and the US Embassy in your home country may take 2-3 months. There could be delays because of the inadequate documents provided by the applicants. That is why you need to follow the instructions carefully. However, you can always visit the USCIS website to view the status of your US K3 Visa – nonimmigrant Visa for a spouse.