# K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa: What Happens After You Arrive > Altius Immigration Law PLLC is a U.S. immigration law firm in Washington, D.C., serving clients in all 50 states. Principal attorney: André Matias. Practice areas: green cards, family-based immigration, employment-based and temporary work visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, P-1), investment visas (E-2), adjustment of status, and citizenship & naturalization. Source: https://altius.law/blog/k1-fiance-visa-after-you-arrive/ Summary: The K-1 gets you to the United States, not to a green card. The 90-day rule, the work gap nobody plans for, and what filing looks like afterwards. ##### Family-Based Immigration # K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa: What Happens After You Arrive Most K-1 guidance stops at the airport. The part that actually catches couples out comes afterwards, and it starts with a hard deadline. ## The 90-day rule A K-1 entrant is admitted for **90 days** and must **marry the U.S. citizen who petitioned for them** within that window. Not a different partner, and not later. The 90 days do not extend. If you do not marry within them, the K-1 status simply expires, and there is no version of this where waiting improves the position. The K-1 is filed on [Form I-129F](https://www.uscis.gov/i-129f); the official overview is at [USCIS — Family of U.S. Citizens](https://www.uscis.gov/family/family-of-us-citizens). ## You are not a permanent resident yet This is the thing most people underestimate. A K-1 holder arrives as a **nonimmigrant**. Marrying does not by itself make you a permanent resident — after the wedding you file [Form I-485](https://www.uscis.gov/i-485) to adjust status, and that is when the green card process actually begins. ## The work gap A K-1 entrant generally **cannot work on arrival** without authorization. Employment authorization is applied for separately, and there is a real gap between landing and being able to earn. For couples where the arriving partner expects to work, this is the single most underestimated cost of choosing the K-1 over a [CR-1 or IR-1](/drafts/spouse-visa-usa-cr1-ir1-or-k1/) — where the arriving spouse is a permanent resident, and may work, from the day they land. ## Travel Leaving the United States after arriving on a K-1 — before adjustment is granted — can create serious problems, including abandoning a pending application. Advance permission has to be obtained first. Any trip home needs to be planned around it, and the permission obtained before you go. ## Children on a K-2 Unmarried children under 21 can accompany you on a **K-2**. Their cases follow the parent's, and their ages matter: a child who turns 21 during the process can fall out of the category entirely. Age is a moving part here, not a fixed fact. ## Your green card may be conditional If you have been married **less than two years** when the green card is granted — which is the norm for K-1 couples, since the marriage happens after arrival — residence is **conditional** for two years, and [Form I-751](/drafts/removing-conditions-two-year-green-card/) follows later. USCIS processing times move, and they differ by office and form type. Rather than print a figure that would mislead somebody reading this next year, check the current time for your own case on the [USCIS processing times tool](https://egov.uscis.gov/processing-times/). Government filing fees change, so this page does not print them — confirm current amounts on the [USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055)](https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055) or the [USCIS Fee Calculator](https://www.uscis.gov/feecalculator). These are **government filing fees only**. They are **not** Altius Law's attorney fees. ## Talk to us André handles K-1 cases regularly. If you have arrived on one, or are deciding whether it is the right route, the sequencing after arrival is where advice earns its keep. [Schedule a consultation](https://calendly.com/altiuslaw/initial-consultation) --- Book a consultation: https://altius.law/scheduling/ Phone: +1 (202) 794-9140 Website: https://altius.law