K-1 Fiancé Visa from Thailand

If you are a US citizen engaged to a Thai national and want to marry in the United States, the K-1 fiancé(e) visa lets your partner travel to the US for the wedding. You must marry within 90 days of their arrival. Your spouse then applies for a green card without leaving the country.

This guide explains who qualifies, each step from the I-129F petition to the interview at the US Embassy in Bangkok, the documents and income you need, what happens after the wedding and what has changed in 2026.

The K-1 is a nonimmigrant visa that allows your fiancé(e) to enter the US once for the purpose of marrying you. The period of admission is 90 days. After the wedding, your spouse files Form I-485 to become a permanent resident. A K-1 entrant can obtain a green card only through marriage to the US citizen who filed the petition. If the wedding does not take place within 90 days, your fiancé(e) will have no basis to stay and should take advice immediately.

If you plan to marry in Thailand, see our guides to the CR-1 spouse visa and the IR-1 spouse visa.

• The petitioner must be a US citizen. US permanent residents cannot file for a K-1.
• Both of you must be legally free to marry when the petition is filed, and the marriage must be legally possible in the state where it will take place. Any earlier marriages must have ended by divorce, annulment or death.
• You must have met in person within the two years before filing. USCIS can waive this if meeting would cause extreme hardship or would break long-established customs.
• You must intend to marry within 90 days of your fiancé(e)’s arrival.
• The petitioner’s background will be disclosed. Under the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA), your fiancé(e) receives any criminal background information about you that USCIS obtains. If you have any criminal history, including domestic violence, take advice before filing.

1. File Form I-129F with USCIS. The US citizen files the Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) with proof of citizenship, evidence that earlier marriages ended, evidence that you have met in person within two years, evidence of your relationship and of your intention to marry within 90 days. The USCIS fee is $675. See our Form I-129F guide.
2. USCIS approval and the NVC. Once approved, USCIS sends the petition to the National Visa Center (NVC), which forwards it to the US Embassy in Bangkok.
3. Form DS-160 and fee. Your fiancé(e) completes the online DS-160 application and pays the K visa application fee of $265.
4. Medical examination. Your fiancé(e) books the exam with the Embassy’s approved panel physician at Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, at least ten business days before the interview. Results from other doctors are not accepted.
5. The interview. Your fiancé(e) attends the interview at the US Embassy, 95 Wireless Road, Bangkok. Attorneys cannot attend, but one interpreter may accompany the applicant if needed.
6. Visa delivery. If approved, the passport and visa are usually returned by courier about ten business days after the interview. Some cases need administrative processing first.
7. Travel and wedding. Your fiancé(e) enters the US before the visa expires (the medical exam must also be under six months old on entry). You then marry within 90 days. K visa holders do not pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee.

The State Department’s K-1 checklist includes:

• the DS-160 confirmation page, a valid passport and a birth certificate;
• divorce or death certificates for any previous marriages of both of you;
• police certificates — a Thai police certificate from the Royal Thai Police (normal processing is about 30 business days) and certificates from other countries where your fiancé(e) has lived, as set out in the Embassy’s instructions. See our guide to the Thai police clearance certificate;
• the sealed medical exam results (if provided in a sealed envelope, do not open it);
• two passport-style photographs;
• evidence of your relationship; and
• evidence of financial support.

Documents not in English need a certified English translation. If documents are missing, the Embassy may cancel and reschedule the interview.

At the K-1 interview, the consular officer may ask the US citizen for Form I-134, Declaration of Financial Support. The State Department says this requires income of at least 100% of the federal poverty guidelines — $21,640 for a household of two in 2026.

After the wedding, the higher Form I-864 Affidavit of Support standard applies: 125% of the guidelines, or $27,050 for a household of two in 2026. Assets or a joint sponsor can help meet it. Read more in our guide to Form I-864.

• Marry within 90 days. K-1 admission lasts 90 days.
• Work. A K-1 is authorized to work incident to status, but must apply to USCIS for an employment authorization document (EAD). Work authorization can also be requested together with the green card application after the wedding.
• Apply for the green card. After the wedding, your spouse files Form I-485 ($1,440). The package includes the marriage certificate and your Form I-864, and the spouse attends a biometrics appointment and possibly an interview. See our guide to Form I-485 adjustment of status.
• Conditional residence. If you have been married for less than two years when the green card is approved, it will be a two-year conditional card. You then file Form I-751 together in the 90 days before it expires.

Unmarried children under 21 of your fiancé(e) can apply for K-2 visas. List them on your I-129F petition. They must enter the US within one year of the K-1 visa’s issuance, or they will need separate immigrant petitions. After the wedding, each child applies for a green card as your spouse’s child. Under Matter of Le (BIA 2011), the child must have been under 21 when admitted to the US, and does not need to qualify as your stepchild. See our guide to the K-2 visa for children.

• missing evidence that earlier marriages ended, for either of you;
• weak evidence of the relationship, or of meeting in person within two years;
• a sponsor who does not meet the income requirement;
• an incomplete medical exam or missing police certificates; and
• inconsistent answers or documents.

Timelines depend on USCIS processing of the I-129F, the NVC, interview availability in Bangkok and any administrative processing. In 2026 they have also been affected by the changes described above. USCIS publishes current processing times online, and we will give you an up-to-date estimate for your case.

Our fiancé visa package covers:

• a consultation and a complete list of the documents you need;
• help collecting documents, including the Thai police certificate;
• preparing and filing the I-129F petition with USCIS;
• preparing the Embassy application and helping with the medical exam;
• interview preparation; and
• ongoing updates on the status of your case.

See all our US visa services.

Can my fiancé(e) work after arriving on a K-1?

A K-1 is authorized to work incident to status, but needs an employment authorization document (EAD) from USCIS. It can also be requested together with the green card application after the wedding.

What if we don’t marry within 90 days?

K-1 admission lasts 90 days and cannot be converted into a green card through anyone other than the petitioner. If the wedding will not happen in time, take legal advice straight away.

Do we have to have met in person?

Yes, within the two years before filing, unless USCIS grants a waiver for extreme hardship or long-established custom.

How much does my US partner need to earn?

For the K-1 interview, at least 100% of the poverty guidelines ($21,640 for a household of two in 2026), if Form I-134 is requested. For the green card after the wedding, at least 125% ($27,050 for two).

Should we marry in Thailand instead?

If you marry first, your spouse applies for a CR-1 or IR-1 immigrant visa and arrives as a permanent resident, with no adjustment of status needed. Which route suits you depends on where you want to marry and your timing.

A fiancé visa involves two governments, many documents and a fixed 90-day deadline after arrival. For advice on your case, contact our team. Our office is on the 22nd floor of the Interchange 21 Building, 399 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok, and you can call us on +66 2 611 2881.

About the author

This article was written by Valentin Declercq, CEO of G.A.M. Legal Alliance, who holds a Master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in Belgium. G.A.M. Legal Alliance, founded in 2011, is based in Bangkok and provides individuals with expert legal support for issues related to immigration, litigation, property purchases and many other areas.

Last updated: October 2026. This article provides general information about Thai law and does not constitute legal advice. For advice on your situation, please contact us.