How Much Money do I Need to Sponsor My Fiancé to the USA?

“How much money do I need to sponsor my fiancé to the USA?” is one of the most researched questions on Google. The easiest way to understand the answer to this question is to know what is required for each stage of the fiancé visa process. The fiancé visa process can broken down into three stages.

Stage 1- Proving the Relationship

In the first stage of the case, you have to prove to the U.S. government that you are in a bona fide relationship with your fiancé. You must also prove that you plan to marry your fiancé within 90 days of his/her arrival to the U.S. For this stage of the case, you must file an I-129F petition for your fiancé, with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). You do not need to prove your income just yet. If you do not make the minimum income, you have months to get your finances in order.

Total Cost for Stage 1 of the Fiancé Visa Process

  • I-129F Petition Filing Fee = $675
  • Attorney’s fees = $1,500

It will take approximately 8-12 months for the government to make a decision on the petition. If USCIS approves your petition, it will be valid for four months. USCIS will send your approved petition to the National Visa Center (NVC) which will route it to the U.S consulate or embassy where your fiancé will attend his or her interview. So far, you should be getting an understanding of “how much money do I need to sponsor my fiancé to the USA?”

Stage 2- Applying for the K-1 Fiancé Visa

In the second stage of the fiancé visa process, the National Visa Center will notify you that it is in possession of the file with the approved petition. It will assign a case number to the petition and then your foreign fiancé can begin the visa application process. During this stage you may be required to prove that you can financially support your fiancé. If your fiancé is financially secure he or she may be able to use his or her income or assets without needing yours. The immigration officer may ask for form I-134 Declaration of Financial Support at the interview. A copy of your most recent tax return and current paystubs should be sufficient evidence that you can support your fiancé. You need to keep your fiancé at 100% above the federal poverty guidelines, during this stage.  You can rely of form I-864P  listed below for the minimum income requirements in 2024.

How-much-money-do-I-need-to-sponsor-my-fiance-to-the-USA

Total Cost for Stage 2 of the Fiancé Visa Process

  • DS-160 visa application = $265
  • Medical Examination = $100 (varies by country)
  • Police Certificate = $20 (varies by country)
  • Attorney’s fees = $1,500

This stage of the process will take between 1-2 months depending on the availability of visa appointments at the U.S. consulate/ embassy.

Stage 3- Marriage and Green Card Application

After your fiancé arrives in the USA and you are married, it is time to apply for permanent residence. During this stage of the case, your foreign-born spouse must file form I-485. He/she may also simultaneously file an application for employment authorization. There is usually a decision on the employment application months before there is a decision on the adjustment of status application. If the employment authorization application is approved, your spouse may be able to get a job and help pay some of the immigration fees or contribute financially to the household. You are required to file form I-864 at this stage and prove that you have sufficient income to keep your spouse above 125% of the federal poverty guidelines listed in form I-864P above.

Total cost for stage 3 of the fiancé visa process without an interview

  • I-485 Application to Adjust Status = $1,440
  • I-765 Application for Employment Authorization = $520
  • Attorney’s fees = $3,000

The processing time for the employment authorization application is approximately 6 months while a decision on the adjustment of status application may take approximately 12-18 months.

What are the Benefits of Hiring an Attorney?

An experienced immigration attorney can save you time and prevent costly mistakes. The attorney may even save your relationship because if the process is taking too long your foreign fiancé may get frustrated and end the relationship.

Anyone can print immigration forms from the internet and mail it in, however it is not the US government’s job to check if you have done it right. When you file your application, the government simply takes you filing fee and mails you a receipt notice. No one checks if you have made a mistake at the time of filing. It will be months before an immigration officer looks at your application and makes a decision. If you have not proved your case, you will receive a denial notice. Sometimes the officer may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) and give you a chance to correct errors but receiving an RFE is not guaranteed.

Hiring a qualified immigration attorney early in the process can set up you application for success. Going it alone during the immigration process causes unnecessary anxiety, especially if you have never filed for a fiancé before. It doesn’t have to be this way.