K3 Marriage Visa or K3 Visa

Available to the spouses of US Citizens, the K3 marriage visa or k3 visa is a two year multiple entry visa that allows the foreign citizen spouse to immigrate to the USA by adjusting their status to permanent resident.

The combined USCIS and DOS processing time is typically 5-8 months.

The K-3 visa was created to unite spouses more quickly than is possible with the CR-1 visa.

Prior to the creation of the K3 visa many American Citizens with foreign spouses correctly argued that it didn’t make sense that an American citizen with a foreign fiancée could obtain a visa more quickly than an American Citizen with a foreign spouse.

For a very long time no action was taken to change this seemingly backward situation, until Bill Clinton was in office. During his last few months in office, President Clinton signed the law creating the K3 visa. It then took the US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Department of State 18 months to create the policies, procedures and forms required to implement the K-3 visa for use by American Citizen petitioners.

To use the K3 visa the American Citizen petitioner must first file a petition for the CR-1 visa and receive a I-797C Notice of Action (Receipt Notice) for the filing. A copy of the I-797C must be filed with the K-3 visa petition in order for the application to be accepted.

The practical application of applying for a K-3 visa is often problematic. Occasionally, the USCIS fails to issue the I-797C Notice of Action, requiring follow up requests for the issuance of the Notice of Action. Just as often, the USCIS will issue the I-797C Notice of Action late, after the CR-1 visa has already been approved. After the CR-1 visa has been approved the USCIS will not accept the K3 visa petition.

The K3 marriage visa processes similarly to the K-1 Fiancee Visa. The average processing time fore the K3 visa from Thailand as of this writing is 5-8 months. The K-3 visa allows the Thai spouse unlimited and unrestricted travel back and forth between Thailand and the United States for a two year period. The K3 visa is popular with our American citizen clients who are living and working in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan as it freely allows their Thai spouses to travel with them to the USA and then back to Thailand when they have R & R.

The K-3 marriage visa is also popular when American citizens want to bring their Thai spouses back to the United States as quickly as possible, as this is the fastest immigrant visa to process for the spouse of an American citizen living in Thailand.

The children of the Thai spouse can also be attached to the K-3 marriage visa application. They will be issued K-4 visa. Our firm never charges an additional fee to process visa applications for Thai children accompanying or joining a parent within one year.

Before the end of the two year period, the Thai spouse, and children if applicable, will remain in the United States and apply for an adjustment of status to permanent resident to obtain a green card.

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To hire us and get started, send us an e-mail with your fiancee or wife's mobile phone number, one of the paralegals (Thai ladies) in our office will phone her to provide information about the visa application process, and explain to her in detail the numerous things we will be handling on her behalf.

Your fiancee or wife will be invited to make an appointment with our office to begin the visa application process.

Should you have questions you can call our office toll free, you may e-mail your question or request a call. E-mails are answered promptly, never exceeding 24 hours.


Our Office Address:

USA-Immigration Law-Thailand
#160 Narathiwat Soi 8,
Narathiwatrachankharin Road,
Thungwatdon, Sathorn,
Bangkok 10120,
Thailand.
Tel: (662) 676-2223,
Fax: (662) 286-2245

Toll Free No: 888-235-8856
Email:info@usa-immigration-law-thailand.com

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