Family immigration has two doors of different natures. The relative petition recognizes a relationship that already exists and opens the green card queue. The K-1 visa serves the marriage that has yet to happen: it brings the fiancé or fiancée of a U.S. citizen to marry in the United States. Each door has its own calendar, evidence and traps.
Family petitions
A U.S. citizen may petition for a spouse, children, parents and siblings. A permanent resident, for a spouse and unmarried children. The spouse, unmarried minor child and parent of a citizen are immediate relatives, and for them there is no queue. Everything else waits in the preference categories, capped by year and by country of birth.
The full page covers what happens when life changes midway, who travels along and who does not, the conditions for resolving everything without leaving the country, the calculation that saves the case of a child turning 21, the financial commitment of the person filing, and the conditional green card of a recent marriage.
K-1: the fiancé visa
Only a U.S. citizen may file this petition. The statute requires that you met in person within the preceding two years, that both are free to marry, and that there is a genuine willingness to marry within ninety days of arrival. If the marriage does not happen in time, the statute requires departure, with no extension and no change to another visa.
The full page covers the two waivers of the in-person meeting, the protections IMBRA creates for the person coming, the petition's validity, the consular examination, the K-2 for children, and the lock that allows residence only through marriage to the person who filed, including what happens if the marriage ends early.
Legal basis
- Family petitions: INA §§ 201(b), 203(a), 203(h), 213A, 216 and 245; 8 C.F.R. § 204.2; USCIS Policy Manual, volumes 6 and 7. Details on the full page.
- K-1: INA § 101(a)(15)(K) and § 214(d), with the IMBRA rules; 8 C.F.R. § 214.2(k); INA § 245(d), on the residence lock; Policy Manual, volume 7, part B, chapter 7. Details on the full page.
Verified 24 August 2026. Both routes link to their own pages, verified against full sources: family petitions on 22-24 Aug 2026 and the K-1 on 24 Aug 2026. Rules and queues change: confirm at the source before acting.
General informational content. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Immigration rules change frequently and may be enjoined by a court. Before acting, confirm that the rule is in force and consult an attorney about your own circumstances.