Form I-129F for the K-1 Fiancé Visa: Filing, Documents, and Fees

To fill out Form I-129F, the Petition for Alien Fiancé(e), a U.S. citizen completes eight parts covering the petitioner, the beneficiary, criminal history and IMBRA disclosures, biographic details, and signatures, then mails the package with proof of citizenship, evidence that any prior marriages ended, passport-style photos, and — for a K-1 — evidence of an in-person meeting within the past two years, along with a $675 fee, to the USCIS Dallas lockbox. Use the current 01/20/25 edition. USCIS rejects submissions that use an outdated version or mix pages from different editions.¹

Confirm You Can File Before You Start

Only U.S. citizens may file Form I-129F. Lawful permanent residents cannot use this form to petition for a fiancé(e). Both partners must be legally free to marry, meaning every prior marriage has ended by divorce decree, annulment, or death of the former spouse — a separation date is not enough.²

For a K-1 fiancé(e) petition, you and your fiancé(e) must have met in person at least once within the two years immediately before filing, and you must intend to marry within 90 days of arrival in the United States.¹ The filing fee is $675 for a K-1 and $0 for a K-3 spouse petition filed on the basis of an existing I-130.³ Form I-129F is not eligible for a fee waiver.⁴ There is no online filing option — print, complete, and mail.⁵

Part 1: Information About You, the Petitioner

Four Part 1 fields will get the form rejected if left blank: the classification sought for your beneficiary, your family name, your mailing address, and your date of birth.¹ Fill them first.

The section opens with your Alien Registration Number if you have one; if not, write “N/A.” Do not confuse an EAD number starting with “1” with an A-Number.² Enter your USCIS Online Account Number only if you have a receipt starting with “IOE” from a prior filing, followed by your Social Security Number.

Next, mark whether you are petitioning for a fiancé(e) (K-1) or spouse (K-3), then enter your full legal name with the entire middle name spelled out. List every other name you have used — maiden names, married names, nicknames.⁶

Part 1 then asks for your complete address history for the past five years, your employment history for the same period (employer names, addresses, job titles, dates), your sex as stated on your birth certificate, date of birth in mm/dd/yyyy format, current marital status, place of birth, and your parents’ names, birth dates, birthplaces, and current locations.²

If you have been married before, list each former spouse and the date the marriage legally ended; a final divorce decree, annulment order, or death certificate is the only acceptable proof.⁶ Indicate how you obtained U.S. citizenship (birth, naturalization, or derivation) and supply certificate details if naturalized.

The section also asks whether you have previously filed an I-129F. If you have had two prior petitions approved, or one approved within the last two years, you must request a multiple-filer waiver to file again (see Part 3).² Finish Part 1 by listing the ages of any children and the states or countries where you have lived since turning 18.

Part 2: Information About Your Beneficiary

Part 2 mirrors Part 1 but focuses on the foreign fiancé(e) or spouse. Three fields here trigger rejection if blank: classification sought, family name, and date of birth.¹

Enter the beneficiary’s full legal name, A-Number and Social Security Number if applicable, date of birth, sex, current marital status, and place of birth. If the beneficiary is stateless, write “stateless” and explain in Part 8. List all other names used.²

Address information is more detailed than Part 1: current mailing address, five-year address history, physical address abroad, and the U.S. address where the beneficiary intends to live after arrival. If the beneficiary’s native alphabet is not Roman, also write the name and foreign address in that alphabet.

Provide five years of employment history in the same format as Part 1, plus the beneficiary’s parents’ details. If the beneficiary has been married before, list each former spouse and the date each marriage ended. For any children, give each child’s full name, country of birth, date of birth, and current address. State whether you and the beneficiary are related and, if so, how (for example, second cousins). If the beneficiary has a Form I-94, enter that number and the expiration of authorized stay.²

The In-Person Meeting Item

Item 53 asks whether you have met in person within the two years before filing. In Item 54, describe the circumstances of that meeting and attach supporting evidence — travel records, dated photos with context, passport stamps.²

If you have not met, use Item 54 to request a waiver on one of two grounds: that meeting would cause you extreme hardship, or that it would violate strict, long-established customs of your fiancé(e)’s foreign culture. Back the waiver with medical records, statements from religious leaders, or documentation of danger. This requirement does not apply to K-3 spouse petitions.

International Marriage Broker Disclosure

If you met through an international marriage broker, disclose the broker’s details and include the beneficiary’s signed consent authorizing release of their contact information. Then specify the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the beneficiary will interview.²

Part 3: Criminal History and IMBRA Disclosures

Part 3 requires you to disclose criminal history and any civil or criminal protection or restraining orders. Under the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act, this information is shared with the Department of State and then with the beneficiary at the consular interview.⁷

You must disclose whether you have ever been arrested for or convicted of “specified crimes,” which include:

Domestic violence (felony or misdemeanor), dating violence, sexual assault, child abuse or neglect, elder abuse, and stalking.
Homicide, murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, abduction, false imprisonment, torture, trafficking, and related offenses.
Three or more convictions involving controlled substances or alcohol that did not arise from a single act.

You must also disclose temporary or permanent protection or restraining orders related to these categories.² Submit certified copies of court and police records for each arrest or conviction, even if the record was sealed, expunged, or otherwise cleared.

A separate item covers other arrests, charges, or convictions outside the specified categories. Minor traffic violations don’t need to be listed unless they were drug- or alcohol-related or resulted in a fine of $500 or more.

Multiple-Filer Waiver

If you have previously filed two or more I-129F petitions, or had one approved within the last two years, select the correct waiver option in Part 3 (Items 5.a. through 5.d.) and attach evidence. Three categories exist:

General waiver, available if you have no violent criminal convictions. Explain the circumstances behind the prior filings with evidence such as death certificates or medical reports.
Extraordinary circumstances waiver, required if you have a violent criminal conviction. Provide court records, police reports, and evidence of rehabilitation.
Mandatory waiver, available if you were a victim of battery or extreme cruelty by a family member at the time of the offense and were not the primary aggressor. Provide police reports, court records, or other credible evidence of the abuse.

USCIS cannot approve the petition unless a required multiple-filer waiver is granted. If you are filing for a spouse rather than a fiancé(e), select Item 5.d. and move on.²

Parts 4 Through 8: Biographic Details, Signatures, and Extra Space

Part 4 collects basic physical characteristics: ethnicity, race, height in feet and inches (not metric), weight in pounds (enter “000” if unknown), eye color, and hair color. USCIS uses this data during the biometrics appointment.²

Part 5 is where you sign. Provide daytime and mobile phone numbers plus an email address, and declare under penalty of perjury that everything in the petition is true. Indicate whether you completed the form yourself or used an interpreter or preparer. The signature must be handwritten in ink; stamped or typed names are not accepted, though a photocopy, fax, or scan of an original ink signature is acceptable. An unsigned form will be rejected.

Part 6 is for any interpreter who assisted you. Part 7 is for a preparer, such as an immigration attorney or accredited representative. Each must sign and date the appropriate section. Attorneys should also file Form G-28.²

Part 8 gives you extra space for any answer that didn’t fit elsewhere. Print your name and A-Number at the top of each Part 8 page and reference the specific Part and Item Number you are continuing.

Supporting Documents to Include

The form alone isn’t the filing. Every petition needs the following:

Proof of U.S. citizenship: a copy of your U.S. birth certificate, naturalization or citizenship certificate, Form FS-240 (Consular Report of Birth Abroad), an unexpired U.S. passport, or an original statement from a U.S. consular officer.
Proof that every prior marriage ended: final divorce decrees, annulment orders, or death certificates for both partners. If the primary document is unavailable, submit a statement from the civil authority confirming unavailability, then secondary evidence such as church records; if secondary evidence is also unavailable, two or more sworn affidavits from people with firsthand knowledge may substitute.
One passport-style color photo each of the petitioner and beneficiary, taken within 30 days of filing.
Legal name change documentation, if applicable.

For a K-1 fiancé(e) petition, add evidence of intent to marry within 90 days of arrival (engagement photos, ring receipts, venue reservations, wedding-planning messages, engagement announcements), evidence of the in-person meeting within the past two years (travel records, passport stamps, dated photos), and IMBRA waiver evidence if applicable.

For a K-3 spouse petition, add Form I-797C showing you filed Form I-130 for your spouse, along with the marriage certificate issued by the appropriate civil authority.

Any document in a foreign language needs a full English translation with a signed certification from the translator attesting to accuracy and competence. Submit photocopies rather than originals unless USCIS specifically asks for an original.²

How to Pay and Where to Mail It

USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for most paper-filed forms. Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or by direct debit from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650.⁸

On Form G-1450, enter the cardholder’s name, card number, expiration date, and the exact payment amount. The card must be issued by a U.S. financial institution; foreign cards and gift cards are not accepted. Sign the form and place it on top of your I-129F package.⁹ On Form G-1650, provide the bank name, nine-digit routing number, account number, and fee amount. If your bank has an ACH debit block, ask the bank to whitelist the USCIS Agency Location Code for the Dallas lockbox (7001010331) before you file.¹⁰

Mail the package to the USCIS Dallas lockbox. Standard USPS mail goes to P.O. Box 660151, Dallas, TX 75266-0151. Courier deliveries via FedEx, UPS, or DHL go to 2501 South State Highway 121 Business, Suite 400, Lewisville, TX 75067-8003, attention: I-129F, Box 660151.¹ Attach Form G-1145 to the front of the package if you want electronic confirmation of receipt.

Mistakes That Cause Rejection

A rejection means USCIS returns the petition without processing it — usually for a procedural problem you can prevent. The most common triggers:

Using an outdated form edition or mixing pages from different editions.
Leaving blank any of Part 1’s four mandatory fields (classification sought, family name, mailing address, date of birth) or Part 2’s three (classification sought, family name, date of birth).
Forgetting to sign in Part 5.
Payment problems, such as submitting a personal check instead of using Form G-1450 or G-1650, or entering the wrong fee.
Leaving other questions blank instead of entering “N/A” or “None.”

Even a petition that clears intake can be denied later for insufficient proof of the in-person meeting, failure to show the relationship is genuine, inconsistent information across forms, or missing or expired supporting documents. Do not include prohibited items with your mailing: USCIS warns against electronic components (musical greeting cards, CDs, USB drives), biological samples, and graphic photographs.¹

What Happens After You File

As of early fiscal year 2026, the median processing time for Form I-129F is roughly 7.5 months from receipt to completion.¹¹

After approval, USCIS sends the case to the Department of State’s National Visa Center, which assigns a case number and forwards it to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where the beneficiary will interview. The NVC sends a welcome letter with login information for the Consular Electronic Application Center.¹²

An approved I-129F petition is valid for four months from the date of approval, though a consular officer can extend it.¹³ The K-1 visa itself allows a single entry and is valid for up to six months from issuance. Once the beneficiary arrives in the United States, the couple has exactly 90 days to marry, and that deadline cannot be extended. After the marriage, the new spouse files Form I-485 with USCIS to apply for lawful permanent resident status.

1
USCIS. I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiancé(e)
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USCIS. Instructions for Form I-129F
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USCIS. USCIS Fee Schedule, Form G-1055
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USCIS. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
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USCIS. Forms Available to File Online
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Nolo. How to Fill Out USCIS Form I-129F
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USCIS. IMBRA Guidance Memorandum
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USCIS. Filing Fees
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USCIS. Pay With a Credit Card by Mail
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USCIS. G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
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USCIS. Historic Processing Times
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U.S. Department of State. Nonimmigrant Visa for a Fiancé(e) (K-1)
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USCIS. K-1 Process Guide