Travelling with k1 visa. pls help...

[james8227]

Hi,
Is there any travel restrictions for fiance visa? Can we travel to other country before entering in US, once the k1 visa is stamped on the passport?

Thanks in advance.
James.

[Russell]

Do you mean a short stop like a lay over to get on a different airplane?

Or something substantial like a vacation?


Nothing was mentioned about our stop in France to change airplanes when my wife came on her K-1 VISA. It was only a couple hours. I should have checked with French customs to check the travel restrictions of citizens of my wife's country before booking the flight but I did not think of the potential problem until the french security stopped my wife for questioning.

The questions were not hard she was just having language problems with the french officials and I came back and told them that she was traveling with my group of 5 Americans to Los Angeles they did not even bother looking at the VISA in her passport.


Don't be like me! Take a few minutes and look up each country in your flight plan and find out if there are any travel restrictions for Americans and Restrictions for your spouses nationality.

[james8227]

K1 visa travell

Hi Russell,
Thanks for your response.Let me explain my situation, I am a Srilankan Citizen Living in Uk and my fiancee visa application is processing in London Us embassy and am waiting for my appointement letter. I want to go to Srilanka before entering in US once i get the fiance visa stamped on my passport so that i could spend a couple of weeks with my parents. Is this is ok to travell to my home country with K1 visa on my passport and then entering in US or I must enter US without going to any other country?

[nichole]

Your K1 visa means nothing to another country. Go on your visit wherever you want and for as long as you want, but don't let your K1 visa expire. It must be used to enter the US within 6 months of issue.


A little warning about travel after you enter the US:
Once you enter the USA on the K1 visa, it is no longer valid. It is a one entry visa. If you leave the US after your K1 is stamped at US immigration, you have no way to reenter the country except start over with the K1 or K3 process, including all the petitions, fees, medical, interview and all that waiting.

Once you marry and get your green card, then you are free to travel using the green card to reenter, but that can take 4-6 months after you apply. There is also a travel document called Advance Parole which K1s can apply for at no additional fee if sent in with the adjustment of status application. It is a document that will allow you to leave and reenter the US while your AOS is pending. The AP travel document processes faster and you would probably receive it in 60 days...some have been less, but no more than 90 days.

[james8227]

travel k1

Thanks Nichole for the detailed reply.I am completely free from my worries now.

[smerchas]

Can I leave before AP approved on K1 visa??

Hi Nichole

I noticed your note above about the restrictions of leaving the US on a K1 visa. I'm in that situation at the moment. I'm from the UK and I've entered the US on a K1 visa. My fiance and I are getting married next week, but sadly (but good), he has just got a new job in Bangkok, so has to leave quite quickly after we are married. Obviously we do not want to be apart for months while we wait for AOS. So, we are applying for advance parole to leave the country, but my question is, can I leave the US before approval and have the AP document sent to Bangkok once approved??? I cannot get a straight answer from either my lawyers or the immigration dept on this....I'm at my wits end.

The thought of staying here, while my husband is in another country, is awful. We've already spent so much time apart during the whole K1 visa thing. We assumed it was now over...!!

Any advice you can give would be appreciated