The total cost of a K-3 visa runs about $2,590 in mandatory government fees for a single applicant, and most families end up spending $3,500 to $5,000 once medical exams, documents, translations, and travel are included. Attorney fees and dependent children push the number higher. Before you budget for any of it, know that USCIS itself says the Department of State rarely issues K-3 visas anymore, because the underlying immigrant petition almost always gets approved first and the case converts to a standard immigrant visa.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. K-3/K-4 Nonimmigrant Visas The breakdown below is what you would pay if the K-3 does move forward.
Is the K-3 Route Still Worth Paying For
Once USCIS approves the Form I-130 immigrant petition, the foreign spouse is no longer eligible for a K-3 visa. The National Visa Center closes the K-3 case, and the spouse continues as a CR-1 or IR-1 immigrant visa applicant instead.2U.S. Department of State. Nonimmigrant Visa for a Spouse (K-3) That happens in most cases today. If your case converts, the consular fee, medical exam, and later adjustment-of-status costs still apply, but the petition-stage math shifts. It is worth confirming with USCIS or an immigration attorney whether the K-3 track is even viable for your situation before committing money to it.
USCIS Petition Fees
The U.S. citizen spouse starts by filing Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative. The filing fee is $625 online or $675 on paper.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule It is nonrefundable whether or not the petition is approved.
After the I-130 receipt notice arrives, the petitioner files Form I-129F to request K-3 classification. When the I-129F is filed for K-3 status based on a pending I-130, the filing fee is $0.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule The standard I-129F fee for other categories, like the K-1 fiancé visa, is $675, so the K-3 exemption is a meaningful savings.4eCFR. 8 CFR 106.2 – Fees
Consular Processing Fees
If the K-3 petition reaches the Department of State, the foreign spouse pays the Machine Readable Visa fee before the interview can be scheduled. For K visas, that fee is $265.5eCFR. 22 CFR 22.1 – Schedule of Fees It is paid directly to the embassy or consulate and is nonrefundable even if the visa is denied. The MRV fee covers background checks, identity verification, and the interview itself. It does not cover the courier service most embassies use to return the stamped passport, and that price varies by country.
Medical Exam and Vaccinations
Every K-3 applicant has to complete a medical exam with a physician on the embassy’s approved panel.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 8 Part B Chapter 3 – Applicability of Medical Examination and Vaccination Requirement You pay the clinic directly. Prices generally fall between $200 and $500, depending on the country and the clinic. If the applicant does not have documentation of the required vaccinations, the clinic administers them at additional cost during the visit.
Documents, Translations, and Travel
The smaller costs add up. The foreign spouse needs certified copies of official records: a marriage certificate, a birth certificate, and police clearance certificates from every country where they have lived for a significant period. Local governments set these fees, and they vary widely. A police clearance alone can run $50 or more in some countries.
Any document not in English needs a certified translation. Professional translators generally charge $25 to $50 per page, and a marriage certificate with legal annotations can produce a surprisingly large bill on its own. Passport-sized photos to State Department specifications are also required, though the cost is minor.
Travel is the wildcard. If the foreign spouse lives far from the embassy and the panel physician, they may need to travel to a major city for the medical exam and the interview, sometimes on separate trips. In countries with a single U.S. embassy, that can mean domestic flights and hotel nights.
Adjustment of Status After Arrival
The single largest payment in the whole process comes after the spouse enters the United States and files Form I-485 to become a permanent resident. The filing fee is $1,440 for applicants 14 and older.4eCFR. 8 CFR 106.2 – Fees Since April 2024, USCIS has folded the biometric services fee into that amount, so there is no separate charge for fingerprinting.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule The U.S. citizen spouse also submits Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, with the adjustment package; there is no USCIS filing fee for it.
The K-3 admission is valid for two years.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. K-3/K-4 Nonimmigrant Visas If the I-485 is still pending as that window closes, the spouse can file Form I-539 to extend, which costs $470.4eCFR. 8 CFR 106.2 – Fees Missing the two-year deadline without adjusting or extending creates a serious legal problem, so it is not one to treat casually.
Work Authorization
K-3 spouses are automatically authorized to work in the United States upon admission.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. K-3/K-4 Nonimmigrant Visas To prove that to an employer, most file Form I-765 for an Employment Authorization Document. The standard I-765 fee is $520, but applicants who have already filed an I-485 at the current fee (after April 1, 2024) pay a reduced $260.4eCFR. 8 CFR 106.2 – Fees The reduced rate is the more common scenario because most K-3 spouses file the I-485 soon after arrival.
Costs If Children Come Too
Unmarried children under 21 can apply for K-4 visas to accompany or follow the K-3 parent. Each child pays the same $265 consular fee and needs their own medical exam, another $200 to $500 per child. Documents multiply too: birth certificates, police clearances where age makes them applicable, and translations.
After entering the country, each child files a separate I-485. Children under 14 filing concurrently with a parent pay $950 instead of the standard $1,440.4eCFR. 8 CFR 106.2 – Fees Each child also needs their own approved I-130 petition to qualify for a green card, adding $625 or $675 per child at the petition stage.
Attorney Fees
Legal representation is optional but common, and none of the numbers above include it. Immigration attorneys handling spouse petitions and adjustment cases typically charge $2,000 to $5,000 or more, depending on complexity and location. Cases involving prior immigration violations, criminal history, or previous denials generally cost more because they require waivers or extra filings.
Total K-3 Visa Cost
For one K-3 applicant with no children, the mandatory government fees break down like this:
- I-130 petition: $625 online or $675 paper
- I-129F petition for K-3: $0
- Consular processing (MRV fee): $265
- Medical examination: $200 to $500
- I-485 adjustment of status: $1,440
- I-765 work authorization: $260 to $520
That puts the floor at roughly $2,590 in hard costs before documents, translations, travel, photos, and courier fees. Once those come in, most families should plan on $3,500 to $5,000 for a straightforward case without an attorney. With legal representation and dependent children, the total can climb past $8,000.