Step 1: File an I-129F Petition.

The first step in applying for a fiancé(e) visa is for the U.S. citizen fiancé(e) (the petitioner) to file a Form I-129F petition with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). This petition must be filed with USCIS in the United States. It cannot be filed with the U.S. Embassy/Consulate General. Please click here for specific instructions. Click here for information about processing times.

Both petitioner and beneficiary must be legally able and willing to conclude a valid marriage in the United States. The petitioner and beneficiary must have previously met in person within the past 2 years unless the U.S. Attorney General waivers that requirement.

Unmarried children of a K-1 visa beneficiary who are under the age of 21 are eligible to derive status through their parent (the beneficiary). Children’s names must be included in the petition. If the U.S. citizen is the natural father or mother of the child, the child may already have claim to U.S. citizenship and may be eligible for a U.S. passport.  In such cases, please contact the American Citizen Services office at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate nearest to you.

Step 2: Approval Notice from USCIS.

Once the petition is approved by USCIS, the I-797 Notice of Approval will be mailed to the U.S. citizen petitioner or the petitioner’s attorney.  The petition is then sent to the National Visa Center (NVC) in New Hampshire for additional processing before being forwarded to the Embassy or Consulate with jurisdiction over the beneficiary’s place of foreign residence.

A petition is valid for a period of 4 months from the date of USCIS action and can be revalidated by the consular officer.

Step 3: Instructions from the Embassy or Consulate.

Once the NVC has finished processing your case, you will be notified that your case has been sent to the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta.  This transfer will take approximately four weeks.  Please refrain from sending inquiries to the Embassy during that time, as we will not be able to provide any detailed information about your case before we receive it.

Upon receiving the beneficiary’s petition from NVC, the Embassy in Jakarta will email the beneficiary an instruction on how to continue the Fiance(e) visa process.

The beneficiary will not receive these instructions until after the Immigrant Visa Unit at Embassy Jakarta receives the physical petition from the NVC.