Question: As a U.S. citizen, I need to bring my wife to U.S. We have married 6 months in her country. I will file Form I-130 soon for her immigration visa number. Do I need to file Form I-129F after the Form I-130 approval? Answer: The purpose of the K-3 visa category was to provide a faster avenue for the immigration of spouses of U.S. citizens, if the foreign national resided abroad. The K-3 visa application requires Form I-130 filing. The K-3 nonimmigrant petition for the spouse of a U.S. citizen must be preceded by the filing of the I-130 immediate relative petition. There is no need to wait for a decision on the I-130, it must simply be filed. The K-3 case is filed using Form I-129F, as is the K-1 for fiancé/fiancée. Prior to the creation of the K-3 category, the only option was the I-130 petition for immediate relative. The processing times for I-130s, combined with the waiting times for interviews at the consulates, often left couples separated for more than a year. The K-3 processing was supposed to be much faster than the I-130, and, thus, was an attractive option for many couples in this situation.

 
 


 



 

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