If you are looking for a Russian bride, one time or another you will want to bring her into your country. This article will tell you about Fiancee Visa regulations in the United States of America. Most other countries have similar regulations; however, it is better consult an immigration attorney in your home country.

K-1 Fiancee Visa is issued to foreigners who are outside the United States and wish to enter the US for a purpose of marriage to a US citizen. The American Consulate or Embassy normally issues this visa in the country where your bride resides (Russia in our case). The visa is only valid for 90 days, during which the marriage must occur. After marriage, the couple needs to file for the Adjustment of Status Application as to confirm the status of your spouse in the country.

Note: any other type of visa such as tourist, student or business visas are not used for the purpose of marriage. The only type available for marriage is K1 visa. In case you bring you fiancee for the purpose of marriage using other visa types and your fraud is caught your bride will not only be deported, but by new regulations she might loose her right to re-enter the US for a period of up to 10 years.

Fiancee visa is issued in case not only you but also your bride meets all regulations.

1. You must be a citizen of the United States of America. Lawful permanent resident "green card" holders of the United States are not allowed to obtain Fiancee Visas.

2. Both applicants must be legally free to marry in the US (divorce or annulment proceedings can delay Fiancee Visa receipt).

3. You have met your fiancee in person within the previous two years. In case you and your fiancee fell in love as pen pals, or have met and corresponded only over the Internet, your Fiancee will not be eligible for a K-1 Visa to marry you in the US. You are required to have met in person within the past two years by the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986.

4. You meet certain minimum income requirements. Normally you will be required to show 125% of the poverty level for your household including your fiancee and any children. If you do not meet these requirements, you will need a co-sponsor who does meet the guidelines. The co-sponsor also needs to fill out an Affidavit of Support (Form I-134) for your fiancee and her children.

5. Serious relationships and genuine commitment to each other are required. This item is, perhaps, most important of all described above. Even if all information in the documents is correct and you both satisfy all regulations, you may not obtain Fiancee Visa just because during the interview at the Consulate, your bride cannot answer all questions about your background or her answers do not coincide with the information featured in the papers you submitted.

Two more requirements to your bride that need no comment:
Your fiancee does not have a criminal record.
Your fiancee has not violated certain U.S. immigration laws.

The period of obtaining Fiancee Visa normally lasts up to 2-3 months and there are three approaches to getting this Visa.

1. You and your fiancee fill out all documents yourselves, send them to USCIS (Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, former INS), and wait for the results.

2. There are fiancee visa services that assist in obtaining this type of visa. However, you should always require a license when hiring an immigration service. If any problem or delay occurs, unlicensed services (that are actually numerous) will not be able to represent you and your fiancee before the USCIS or with the appropriate US Embassy. As they are unlicensed and unregulated, there will be nothing and nobody to complain.

3. You can resort to the assistance of a U.S. immigration law firm that specializes in fiancee visas. This is the most expensive of all approaches and this is the most reliable method that will make you free from delays, denials, rewriting of documents, and all hassles.

Delays make brides assured that her American fiance is not serious about marrying her, while the bridegroom starts thinking would he never initiated this marriage (the process of delays, mistakes, omissions and return cases can last for months or even years). Hence, it is better to use professional help in obtaining fiancee visa because the problems mentioned above can make one or both of you just give up.

Irina Abolentseva