The American citizen should first file a petition, Form I-129F, Petition for Alien Fiance(e), with the BCIS office having jurisdiction over the place of the his/her residence in the U.S. The approved petition is then forwarded by the BCIS to the American consular office where the beneficiary will apply for his/her visa. A petition for K-1 status is valid for a four months from the date of INS action, and may be revalidated by the consular officer. The consular officer will then notify the beneficiary when the approved petition is received and provide you with the necessary forms and instructions to apply for a K-1 Visa. Because you are an intending immigrant, you must meet certain requirements similar to the requirements of an immigrant visa applicant.

The K-3 and K-4 visas were introduced by the Legal Immigration and Family Equity (LIFE) Act of 2000 and allow the spouses of U.S. citizens and the children of those spouses to come to the U.S. on K-3 / K-4 nonimmigrant visas.