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K-1 visa cost in 2026: USCIS and State Department fees

The government fees are $675 for the I-129F (USCIS) and $265 for the K visa (State Department), then $1,440 for the I-485 after the wedding for an applicant 14 or older. That is $2,380 before medical exams, translations, optional work permits or travel documents.

A K-1 case is paid in stages, and the largest single fee comes after the visa, not before it. People searching "K-1 visa cost" often find the first two numbers and miss the third.

This page sets out each government fee, who pays it and when, as at 9 October 2026, with the regulation behind each figure. It covers government fees only. Lawyer fees are not covered because we hold no first-party published prices to quote, and medical-exam and document costs vary by location and provider.

It also covers the rules that cost money if missed: the in-person meeting requirement, the 90-day marriage window, the four-month validity of the petition and the limit on repeat petitions. It does not tell you whether the K-1 is the right route for a couple. That depends on facts about the couple and belongs to an attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative.

The three stages and their fees

| Stage | Item | Fee | Source | |---|---|---|---| | 1 | I-129F petition for a fiancé(e) (USCIS) | $675 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(5)(i) | | 2 | K category visa application, per person (State Dept) | $265 | 22 CFR 22.1, item 21(d) | | 3 | I-485 adjustment of status, age 14 or older (USCIS) | $1,440 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)(i) | | 3 | I-485, child under 14 filing with a parent | $950 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)(ii) | | | Total at age 14+, principal applicant only | $2,380 | |

Stage 1. The US citizen files Form I-129F. 8 CFR 214.2(k)(1) says that to be classified as a fiancé(e) under INA 101(a)(15)(K)(i), "an alien must be the beneficiary of an approved visa petition filed on Form I-129F". The petitioner is the person who files it.

Stage 2. After approval the fiancé(e) applies for the K visa at a US embassy or consulate. The State Department schedule in 22 CFR 22.1 lists "K category (fiancé) nonimmigrant visa" at $265, charged per person. Item 21 is headed "Nonimmigrant Visa Application and Border Crossing Card Processing Fees (per person)", so a child applying for a K-2 visa is charged separately. Item 23, the nonimmigrant visa issuance (reciprocity) fee, is listed as "RECIPROCAL", meaning it depends on the applicant's country, and the schedule does not give a single amount.

Stage 3. After the wedding, adjustment of status to permanent resident is the I-485. 8 U.S.C. 1255(d) says the Attorney General may not adjust the status of a K nonimmigrant "except to that of an alien lawfully admitted to the United States on a conditional basis under section 1186a" as a result of the marriage to the citizen who filed the petition. The resulting two-year card is conditional, which adds one more fee later: the I-751, $750 (see our I-751 guide).

Fees that do not change on 16 October 2026. USCIS's FY2027 inflation notice lists the annual asylum fee, the I-131 parole fee, initial I-765 applications for asylum, parole and TPS applicants, and the I-821 TPS fee. The I-129F and I-485 are not among them. Amounts above come from the regulation text; the G-1055 fee schedule on USCIS's site is the document to check before paying.

Fees that may be added

The table above is the core. These items may also arise, depending on the case.

| Item | Fee | Source | |---|---|---| | I-765 work permit for a K-1 (optional) | $520 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(44); 214.2(k)(9) | | I-765 while the I-485 is pending, if the I-485 was filed with a fee after 1 April 2024 | $260 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(44)(i) | | I-131 advance parole or other travel document | $630 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(7)(iii) | | I-693 immigration medical report (USCIS fee) | No fee | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(39) | | K-2 visa for each child of the beneficiary, per person | $265 | 22 CFR 22.1 item 21(d) | | I-485 for a K-2 child, age 14+ | $1,440 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)(i) | | Waiver of inadmissibility, if one is needed (I-601) | $1,050 | 8 CFR 106.2(a)(33) |

Work permit. 8 CFR 214.2(k)(9) says a K nonimmigrant "shall be authorized to work incident to status", and that K-1 and K-2 aliens seeking work authorization "must apply, with fee" to USCIS. The I-765 fee in the regulation is $520 for most applicants, and $260 for an applicant whose I-485 was filed with a fee after 1 April 2024 and is still pending. The two figures are not alternatives for the same moment: which applies depends on whether the I-485 has been filed.

Medical examination. The USCIS fee for the I-693 form is nil. The panel physician or civil surgeon charges separately, and we do not have a published figure to give.

Children. 8 CFR 214.2(k)(3) lets a child of the beneficiary be given the same classification "without the approval of a separate petition", but each child pays the K visa fee and, later, an I-485 fee unless the under-14 concurrent rate applies.

Affidavit of support. The I-864 itself has no USCIS fee (8 CFR 106.2(a)(55)). 8 CFR 213a.2(a)(2)(i)(A) makes it a requirement for "any alien admitted as a K nonimmigrant when the alien seeks adjustment of status". See our guide to the I-864 for the income test and the obligations it creates.

Not in the regulations we read: the cost of translations, certified copies, photographs, courier fees, flights, and any lawyer or preparer fees.

Rules that decide whether the fees buy a result

Most K-1 cost problems are timing problems. The statute and regulations set fixed points.

The meeting rule. INA 214(d)(1) (8 U.S.C. 1184(d)(1)) says the petition "shall be approved only after satisfactory evidence is submitted by the petitioner to establish that the parties have previously met in person within 2 years before the date of filing the petition", have a bona fide intention to marry and are legally able and willing to marry in the US within ninety days of the alien's arrival. DHS "in his discretion may waive the requirement that the parties have previously met in person". 8 CFR 214.2(k)(2) narrows the waiver to extreme hardship to the petitioner, or compliance with "strict and long-established customs of the K-1 beneficiary's foreign culture or social practice". Failing to show the meeting results in denial "without prejudice to the filing of a new petition once the petitioner and K-1 beneficiary have met in person", which means paying the $675 again.

Validity. 8 CFR 214.2(k)(5): the petition approval "shall be valid for a period of four months". An expired petition "may be revalidated by a director or a consular officer for a period of four months" on a finding that the couple are free to marry and intend to marry within 90 days of entry.

The 90-day marriage rule. The K-1 beneficiary can apply to adjust status "upon contracting a valid marriage to the petitioner within 90 days of his or her admission" (214.2(k)(6)(ii)). The statute adds: "In the event the marriage with the petitioner does not occur within three months after the admission of the said alien and minor children, they shall be required to depart from the United States". Adjustment through a K-1 is tied to the petitioner. A couple who do not marry within the window cannot use the K-1 for adjustment.

Limits on repeat petitions. INA 214(d)(2)(A) bars approval if the petitioner has previously petitioned for two or more applying aliens, or if a previous petition was approved and two years have not passed since it was filed, subject to a discretionary waiver in (B).

Each of these is a cost. A denied petition for want of a meeting means a second I-129F. An expired approval can mean revalidation. A missed marriage window ends the route after the K visa fee has been spent.

K-3. A spouse already married to a US citizen with a pending I-130 can use the K-3 route instead. For a K-3 beneficiary there is no I-129F fee where an I-130 has been filed (8 CFR 106.2(a)(5)(ii)). The K-3 is a different route with its own conditions and is not covered here.

K-1 total against the alternative

The K-1 and the spouse route cost different amounts at different times, and the totals should be compared stage by stage rather than as headline numbers.

K-1 (couple not yet married). I-129F $675, K visa $265, I-485 $1,440: $2,380 for the principal at age 14 or older, with the wedding in the middle. If the beneficiary wants to work before the I-485 is decided, the I-765 adds $520 or $260.

Marriage first, then an immediate-relative petition. A couple who marry before applying file an I-130 for the spouse instead of an I-129F. The I-130 is $675 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(6)). If the spouse is abroad, consular processing adds the State Department immigrant visa fee of $325 for family applications (22 CFR 22.1 item 32(a)) and the USCIS immigrant fee of $235 (8 CFR 106.2(c)(3)), and the affidavit-of-support review fee of $120 applies only when the review is done domestically (item 34). The full comparison is in our marriage green card cost guide.

Why a total can mislead. Fee totals leave out the legal-eligibility questions: whether the couple meet the meeting requirement, whether either is barred from petitioning, whether the beneficiary is inadmissible for any reason, and whether a waiver costing $1,050 or more is needed. The two routes also lead to the same conditional green card, and the I-751 comes after both.

Who may help. Only attorneys, DOJ-accredited representatives of recognized organizations and the few other categories in 8 CFR 292.1 may represent someone before USCIS. USCIS warns that notaries "are not attorneys and cannot represent you in legal matters, including immigration cases". A person who tells a couple which route to choose is giving legal advice.

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Notaries public, notarios and immigration consultants are not lawyers and cannot give immigration legal advice. Only a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative can.

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Questions people ask

How much does a K-1 visa cost in total?

Government fees as at 9 October 2026: I-129F $675, K visa $265, and after the wedding the I-485 at $1,440 for age 14 or older, which is $2,380. Medical exams, translations, optional work permits ($520 or $260), travel documents ($630) and any lawyer fees are extra.

What is the K-1 visa application fee?

$265 per person, listed in 22 CFR 22.1 under item 21(d), K category (fiancé) nonimmigrant visa. The reciprocity fee (item 23) is listed as reciprocal, so it depends on the applicant's country.

Is the K-1 visa cheaper than a marriage green card?

The totals differ by stage and by whether the spouse is inside or outside the US. The K-1 comes to $2,380 in basic government fees. The spouse route is covered fee by fee in our marriage green card cost guide. Which route fits a couple is a legal question for an attorney or accredited representative.

Does the K-1 petition fee get refunded if we don't marry?

Part 106 contains no refund right for the I-129F. If the marriage does not take place within 90 days of admission, the beneficiary must depart and adjustment through the K-1 is not available (INA 214(d)(1); 8 CFR 214.2(k)(6)(ii)).

Do we have to meet before filing the I-129F?

Yes, within the two years before filing, unless DHS grants a discretionary exemption for extreme hardship to the petitioner or strict long-established custom (8 CFR 214.2(k)(2)). A petition denied for this reason can be refiled after a meeting, with a new $675 fee.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-09.

Related guides

  • Do I need a lawyer for a K-1 fiancé(e) visa? — No rule requires one. The K-1 runs in three stages: the I-129F petition ($675), the State Department K visa ($265), and, after the wedding, the I-485 green card application ($1,440 at 14+). The couple must have met in person within two years before filing, and the marriage must take place within 90 days of entry.
  • Marriage green card cost in 2026: inside the US vs abroad — For the spouse of a US citizen, the I-130 is $675. Inside the US the I-485 adds $1,440. Abroad, the State Department immigrant visa fee is $325 and USCIS's immigrant fee is $235. A marriage under 24 months old at approval leads to a conditional card and a later I-751 at $750.
  • Form I-751: removing the conditions on a two-year green card — A green card based on a marriage of under 24 months at approval is conditional. The I-751 ($750) must be filed in the 90 days before the card's second anniversary (8 CFR 216.4(a)(1)). Missing the window terminates status unless USCIS accepts good cause for late filing.
  • Form I-864 Affidavit of Support: who signs, the income test, how long it lasts — The I-864 is a contract in which the sponsor agrees to maintain the immigrant at 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (100% for armed-forces sponsors of a spouse or child). It has no USCIS fee. It ends at citizenship, 40 qualifying quarters, death or departure, not at divorce.
  • Form I-485 fee 2026: adults, children and add-on forms — As at 9 October 2026 the paper fee for Form I-485 is $1,440 for an applicant 14 or older and $950 for a child under 14 filing with a parent (8 CFR 106.2(a)(21)). A fee waiver is available only to people exempt from the public charge ground, and related forms carry their own fees.
  • Form I-765 fee 2026: $520, $260, $570 or no fee — The standard paper fee for Form I-765 is $520 (8 CFR 106.2(a)(44)). It is $260 with a pending I-485 filed with a fee after 1 April 2024, some groups pay nothing, and a statutory fee applies to initial asylum, parole and TPS work permits, rising from $560 to $570 on 16 October 2026.