FAMILY VISAS

Include nonimmigrants that will seek Legal Permanent Residence (LPR); and are based on the applicant's relationship with a U.S. citizen or LPR.

K Visas

K-1: For the fiance of a U.S. Citizen who is entering for the sole purpose of getting married within 90 days of admission into the U.S. Requirements include:

• legal capacity to marry;
• met the U.S. citizen within two years of filing the petition;
• admissible or eligible for a waiver.

K-2: Minor children of the K-1 visa holder.

K-3: For a person already married to a U.S. citizen who has filed an immediate relative immigrant petition, and the seeks admission while awaiting its approval.

K-4: Minor children of the K-3 visa holder.

• K-3 and K-4 visa holders are admitted for two years.

• K visa holders are not eligible to change to another immigrant status.

 

V Visas

V-1: For someone married to an LPR;

or who is the child of an LPR who filed a family petition on his or her behalf before December 21, 2000, and the petition has been pending for three or more years for any reason;

or for a person who has been waiting for three or more years for approval of a family based immigrant petition due to lack of availability of immigrant visas due to quota restrictions.

V-2: Minor children of the V-1 holder.

• A V applicant is not subject to inadmissibility grounds due to unlawful presence or illegal admission to the U.S., but must seek a waiver when he or she applies for adjustment of status (where the applicant is unlawfully in the U.S. or was illegally admitted to the U.S.).