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Visas for Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens (K-1) and Derivative Children of K-1 (K-2)
If a U.S. citizen plans to marry a Philippine citizen, the most important advice we can offer is to begin the preparations early to bring the new spouse to the United States. Depending on the circumstances, and on what type of visa is best, processing time can take as long as several months. What follows is the assumption that the U.S. citizen is marrying a Filipino, though much of this advice also applies to the marriage to anyone who is not yet a U.S. Citizen or Legal Permanent Resident.
Visa and citizenship laws must be considered when planning a new life. There are different visas for different purposes of travel. The first step is to decide whether one will marry in the Philippines before traveling to America or if one will marry in the United States. The fact that the U.S. citizen has married a foreign national (or the inclusion of his/her spouse on his/her orders if s/he is with the U.S. military) does not automatically allow his/her spouse to travel to the United States or live there without the appropriate visa.
The K-1 visa allows a fiancé(e) to travel to the United States, marry a U.S. citizen, and then adjust status there to become a legal permanent resident (LPR) in the United States. After the K-1 visa is issued by the U.S. Embassy in Manila and the soon-to-be spouse enters the United States, the wedding must take place within three months of the visa holder's arrival in the United States.
The first step in applying for a K-1 visa is for the American citizen to file an I-129F petition with one of the four U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Service Centers in the United States, located in California, Texas, Nebraska and Vermont. The K-1 visa is similar to processing an immigrant visa petition in that civil and financial documents are required.
The unmarried children under age 21 of the K-1 visa holder may be given K-2 visa, if they seek to accompany or follow to join the primary visa holder.
Although the K-1 and K-2 visas are described as nonimmigrant visas, these visas are processed at the Immigrant Visa Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Please view the Immigrant Visas pages of this website for more details. For additional information, one may also reach them at:
Contact Numbers
Call Center – for general inquiries and follow-ups.
Accessible from Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., Philippine Time , except on U.S. and Philippine Holidays and every last business day of the month.
| Accessible from Monday through Friday , 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., Philippine Time , except on U.S. and Philippine Holidays and every last business day of the month | |
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For callers from within the Philippines
Call costs 53 pesos per minute, plus applicable provincial charges. This number is for subscribers of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and Smart telephone touchtone landlines with national/ international distance dialing feature. |
1-909-101-7878
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| For callers from within the United States When calling 1-888-877-9888, p lease have the credit card, either Visa or MasterCard (expiration date and security code are required), and the postal code of the billing address of the credit card ready. The card will be charged $18 per transaction. After the card is approved, a nonrefundable personal identification number (PIN) will be given. The PIN may be used to call this number back just one more time, which will allow the caller to speak to an operator, at no charge. |
1-888-877-9888
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Office Number – for general inquiries on K (and V) visas
Accessible from Monday through Friday as scheduled, except on U.S. and Philippine Holidays and every last business day of the month.
| For international calls only (7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Philippine Time ) Regular international call rate applies. |
(011-632) 301-2000 ext. 5184 or 5185 |
| Fax: (011-632) 528-6471 | |
| Email Address | |
| For K & V visa matters (processed by the Immigrant Visa Unit) |
consivmanila@state.gov |
For complete filing information, please contact the nearest USCIS office serving your place of residence.
Getting Married in the Philippines
If a U.S. citizen wishes to marry in the Philippines, s/he should begin by contacting the USCIS office having jurisdiction over his/her place of residence. Persons whom the USCIS defines as residents of the Philippines may file at the USCIS office at the American Embassy in Manila. Although the final decision about where one is a resident will be made on a case-by-case basis by the USCIS when s/he seeks to file the petition, generally, American citizens are considered to be residents of the Philippines if they belong to one of the following categories:
- U.S. military and civilian DOD employees with orders to the Philippines
- U.S. citizens employed with private companies
- Students enrolled in Philippine universities.
Active duty and civilian members of the Armed Forces must show orders. Those in the other categories must present a residence card and/or employment documents.
If a U.S. citizen marries in the Philippines, s/he will no longer qualify for the K-1 visa. Please see the Immigrant Visa Section for information on bringing a spouse to the United States.
Last Update :: 01/27/2010