| On August 18, 2001, the Family Life Act was | | | | as the K-1 Visa. |
| passed, establishing the K3 Spousal Visa and | | | | |
| the K4 Children of Spouse Visa. These visas | | | | The Major Differences Are As Follows: |
| were established to help provide some relief | | | | |
| for those families waiting for their Form | | | | Rather than Form I-129F being completed as in |
| I-130 Petition for Alien Relative Visa to be | | | | the K-1 Visa process, Form I-130 is completed |
| processed. | | | | for the K-3 Visa. |
| | | | |
| The Form I-130 can take over one year and up | | | | The K-3 Visa will have marriage certificates |
| to two years to process. Families were split | | | | as supporting documentation that the K-1 Visa |
| apart during that time until their permanent | | | | will not have. |
| visas were processed. | | | | |
| | | | Another major difference is that the K-3 Visa |
| The K-3 Visa is the visa an American citizen | | | | application is filed in the country where the |
| would use to bring his wife to the United | | | | marriage took place rather than the country |
| States if she were not a US citizen. The K-4 | | | | of nationality as in a K-1 Visa. |
| Visa is the visa that an American citizen | | | | |
| would use to bring children of his spouse to | | | | For example, an American man who marries a |
| the United States if they are not US | | | | Russian woman in Greece would have to apply |
| citizens. | | | | for a K-3 Visa in Greece where the marriage |
| | | | took place, not in her home country of |
| The K-3 Visa uses very similar procedures as | | | | Russia. |
| the K-1 visa. The K-4 Visa uses very similar | | | | |
| procedures as the K-2 Visa. The same basic | | | | The reason being is that is where the |
| documents are used for filing both types of | | | | marriage documentation can be found. It also |
| visas, and similar types of supporting | | | | means that your wife must return to Greece |
| documentation are required for the K-3 Visa | | | | for the visa interview. |