I have written a lot of articles about immigration issues and processes for U.S. Citizens who are engaged to or married to foreign nationals. I was reviewing the articles on my site the other day and it occurred to me that the majority of the articles I have written are intended for international couples who have already decided to get engaged, married, and live their lives together in the U.S. And in most cases, these articles assume that my audience has already decided which immigration process to pursue.

Sometimes I feel like a broken record saying this but K1 visa applications are won and lost based on the strength of the supporting documentation. One of the most common reasons for the denial of K1 visas at the consular level is failure to establish that the relationship between the U.S. Citizen petitioner and the foreign national fiance or fiancee is bona fide. In simple terms, this means that the applicant didn't convince the consular officer that the relationship was legitimate and not simply for the purposes of obtaining a visa to the U.S.

The K1 fiance visa is a non-immigrant visa that can be filed by a U.S. Citizen. The visa, if issued, allows the foreign national fiance or fiancee of the U.S. Citizen to enter the United States for the purpose of marrying the U.S. Citizen petitioner.

Many K1 fiance visa petitioners and beneficiaries are unaware of the many problems that can arise with a K1 petition after a USCIS approval has been obtained. A USCIS approval is only the first step in the process and essentially just gives the K1 beneficiary the right to apply for a fiance visa at the U.S. Embassy abroad. What most people do not know is that all applicants for K1 fiance visas may be denied a visa if he or she is found to be inadmissible under U.S. immigration law.