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