I-130 Petition

• The I-130 petition to apply is the first step in obtaining a K3 visa. This petition is filled out by the U.S. citizen and includes information about the petitioner and the foreign spouse. Supporting documents required may include marriage certificates, birth certificates and copies of passports. This petition also asks for supporting evidence of a bona fide marriage. Proof of marriage may include wedding photos, plane tickets or other travel arrangements that show the citizen has visited her spouse, affidavits from friends, joint finances or property, or birth certificates of the couple's children. This evidence should be included with the initial petition package and sent to the U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) service center for processing.
  
  

I-129F Petition

• Once the I-130 petition is submitted and accepted by USCIS for processing, a document called the Notice of Action 1 (NOA1) is sent to the petitioner. At this time, the petitioner prepares an I-129F petition to apply and sends this petition, along with copies of the supporting evidence used for the I-130 and the NOA1, to the same USCIS service center that is processing the I-130.
  
  In effect, the petitioner has now petitioned for two visas: the I-130 and the I-129F for the K3 visa. The K3 cannot be applied for without the I-130 petition's Notice of Action (NOA1). Once either petition is approved, the couple can pursue the process through the route that was approved first, resulting in a faster reunion.
  
  

Approval

• Once the petition is approved, a Notice of Action 2 (NOA2) is sent to the petitioner informing them of the approval. The approved petition is then forwarded to the National Visa Center and from there, via diplomatic pouch, to the U.S. Embassy in the spouse's country.
  
  The petition's arrival in the foreign country alerts the embassy, which will forward to the foreign spouse a packet of documents, including the application to apply for a visa.
  
  

Gathering Information

• The application packet will include the IV-15, a checklist of the information that needs to be gathered for the application. Along with the application form, financial information will be required from the U.S. citizen and any co-sponsors that indicate that the immigrant will not need to rely on public funds. The U.S. citizen should send the immigrant spouse a copy of the I-130 and I-129F packets including evidence of the bona fide relationship.
  
  The spouse will also receive information about booking a medical exam to be performed by an embassy-approved physician. This exam must be completed before the visa can be issued. Once the immigrant has gathered all of the documents, the IV-15 is sent to the embassy as a signal that he is ready for the interview.
  
  

The Interview

• The visa interview is held at the U.S. Embassy in the spouse's foreign country. It is not necessary for the U.S. spouse to attend. The application and supporting documents are given to the embassy officials for processing, along with the applicant's passport. A short, in-person interview will follow, during which the applicant will be asked questions about her spouse and the application. If the interview is successful, the visa will be issued and the passport returned to the immigrant by courier, with the new K-3 visa.