Updated November 12, 2026

K-1 visa questionnaire: Form I-129F intake checklist and consular interview questions

A K-1 visa questionnaire covers two stages: the written background questions on Form I-129F and Form I-134, and the oral questions a State Department consular officer asks at your fiancé visa interview. Under USCIS rules, a U.S. citizen petitioner and foreign fiancé must be legally free to marry, have met in person within the 2 years before filing Form I-129F, and intend to marry within 90 days of U.S. admission. If approved, the State Department issues a single-entry K-1 visa valid for up to 6 months.

What a K-1 visa questionnaire covers: written intake vs. consular interview

Neither USCIS nor the State Department publishes a form titled K-1 Visa Questionnaire. In the 5-step fiancé visa process across USCIS, the State Department, and Customs and Border Protection, the phrase refers to two things: the written pre-filing intake worksheet used to prepare your government forms, and the oral questions asked at the U.S. embassy or consulate where your fiancé lives.

Confirm core eligibility under Immigration and Nationality Act Section 101(a)(15)(K)(i) before filling out any worksheet. Only a U.S. citizen can file Form I-129F for a fiancé. Lawful permanent residents cannot sponsor a K-1 fiancé and must marry first before filing Form I-130. Couples who have already married, plan to marry outside the United States, or whose fiancé already resides legally in the United States do not qualify for a K-1 visa. Unmarried children under age 21 of your foreign fiancé can be listed on Form I-129F for derivative K-2 visas.

How written K-1 intake questions map to government filings

Written intake questionnaire and Form I-129F filing checklist

Your written K-1 intake starts with Form I-129F, mailed to the USCIS Dallas lockbox because USCIS international offices cannot adjudicate it. Every page must come from the same edition with the date and page numbers visible at the bottom, accompanied by the filing fee on USCIS Form G-1055. Do not send original civil documents unless the instructions specifically ask for an original.

USCIS rejects Form I-129F if it is unsigned or missing mandatory fields: classification sought, family name, mailing address, and birth date in Part 1, or classification sought, family name, and birth date in Part 2. Do not mail items with electronic chips or batteries (such as musical greeting cards), CD-ROMs, DVDs, thumb drives, toys, action figures, biological or DNA samples, or graphic photos of childbirth or intimate relations. Include a full English translation and signed translator certification of accuracy and competence for any foreign-language record.

• Proof of U.S. citizenship: copy of a U.S. civil birth certificate, naturalization or citizenship certificate, Form FS-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad, unexpired U.S. passport, or an original consular officer statement verifying citizenship and a valid passport.
• Termination of prior marriages: copies of final divorce decrees, annulment orders, or death certificates for both partners.
• Passport-style photos: 1 color photo of the petitioner and 1 of the fiancé taken within 30 days of filing.
• 90-day marriage intent: original signed statements or evidence from both partners confirming bona fide intent to marry within 90 days of K-1 admission.
• 2-year in-person meeting proof: boarding passes, passport stamps, or dated photos from the 2 years before filing, or evidence for a foreign cultural custom or extreme hardship waiver.
• Additional filings: legal name change proof, International Marriage Broker Regulation Act waiver evidence if needed, Form G-28 if represented, and optional Form G-1145 clipped to the first page for e-mail or text lockbox alerts.

Consular K-1 visa interview questions by category

After USCIS approves Form I-129F, it sends the petition to the National Visa Center, which assigns a case number and forwards it to the U.S. embassy or consulate where your fiancé lives. Petition approval does not guarantee a visa. The State Department runs fingerprint and background checks, and a consular officer interviews the K-1 applicant and any eligible K-2 children to verify admissibility and bona fide intent.

Each embassy notifies you when the interview is scheduled and sets its own building and language procedures. At the window, the officer compares your spoken answers against your Form I-129F packet, Form I-134, and civil records across four areas: your own background, your U.S. fiancé's life, how your relationship developed, and your plans to marry within 90 days.

• What is your full legal name, birth date, current address, and occupation? Checks your identity and biographic details against Form I-129F Part 2. Know the exact dates and addresses on your forms and bring your passport and birth certificate.
• Have you ever been married before, and how and when did each marriage legally end? Checks that you are legally free to marry. Have final divorce decrees, annulment orders, or death certificates ready with certified English translations.
• Do you have children, how old are they, and will they travel with you or later? Checks K-2 eligibility, since derivative children must be listed on Form I-129F and remain unmarried and under 21 at admission. Bring each child's birth certificate.
• Have you ever overstayed a U.S. visa, worked without authorization, or been arrested, cited, or charged anywhere? Checks INA 212(a) admissibility and criminal history. Answer truthfully and bring certified police and court records if applicable.
• What is your fiancé's full name, birth date, birthplace, and U.S. citizenship basis? Checks how well you know your future spouse and matches Form I-129F Part 1. Know where your fiancé was born or naturalized.
• Where does your fiancé live in the United States, what is their job, and who is their employer? Checks your knowledge of your petitioner's household and finances. Make sure your answers match the U.S. address, job, and income evidence on Form I-134.
• Has your fiancé been married before, do they have children, and have they filed a fiancé petition before? Checks whether your petitioner shared their full family and filing history with you. Know ex-spouses' names, how prior marriages ended, and any children's ages.
• How, when, and where did the two of you first start talking, and when did you first meet face to face? Checks bona fide relationship origins and any international marriage broker use. Know the month, year, and setting or app where you connected.
• How many times did you meet in person in the 2 years before Form I-129F was filed, and which cities did you visit? Checks the 2-year physical meeting rule. Keep boarding passes, passport stamps, and dated photos ready to hand over if asked.
• How often do you talk, which language do you use together, and have you met each other's family? Checks ongoing genuine contact since filing. Be ready to explain how you communicate daily and offer recent visit or family photos.
• When and how did the marriage proposal happen, and did you hold an engagement gathering? Checks that you are engaged rather than already legally married, since married couples cannot use a K-1 visa. Describe any engagement celebration clearly so it is not confused with a legal wedding.
• When and where do you plan to marry after entering the United States, and where will you live? Checks your bona fide intent to marry within 90 days of K-1 admission. Know your planned U.S. city and address and bring signed 90-day intent statements.

What the consular officer checks in each question group

Form I-134 vs. Form I-864: financial support questions explained

Applicants frequently mix up the two financial support forms. Because a K-1 visa admits your fiancé for a 90-day temporary stay to marry, the consular stage uses Form I-134 (Declaration of Financial Support). Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA) is filed later with Form I-485 after your wedding.

Under USCIS rules, the supporter must submit a separate signed Form I-134 for each beneficiary, including each K-2 child, with evidence of sufficient income or financial resources. Because Form I-134 is signed with your full name under penalty of perjury, it does not need to be notarized. At the interview, know your petitioner's job, employer, and income.

Financial support forms at the K-1 visa stage vs. Green Card stage

What to bring to the K-1 visa interview window

Bring organized originals and copies to the embassy window so you can hand over any requested record quickly. Save the vaccination records from your overseas medical exam: USCIS notes that K-1 entrants who completed an immigration medical exam abroad may not need a repeat exam for Form I-485, though Form I-693 vaccination compliance proof is still required.

• Passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your contemplated period of stay under 8 CFR 214.1(a)(3)(i), unless exempt.
• Embassy or consulate interview notice and required K-1 visa application forms for each K-1 and K-2 applicant.
• Proof of required medical examination.
• Birth certificates, legal name change records, and final divorce, annulment, or death certificates for all prior marriages of both partners.
• Certified police and court records of any criminal charges, arrests, or convictions, if applicable.
• Signed Form I-134 for each applicant with supporting income or financial resource documentation.
• Copy of the Form I-129F packet, signed 90-day marriage intent statements, proof of the relationship, and certified English translations.

Couple alignment worksheet, answering tips, and consular outcomes

Tell the whole truth on every form and at every inspection. Under federal rules in 8 CFR 214.1(f), you must give full and truthful answers whenever Homeland Security asks for information. Willfully holding back the truth violates your nonimmigrant status, even on a minor detail. Answer questions in one or two plain sentences without memorized speeches, and say if you do not recall a minor date rather than guessing. Review our team's alignment worksheet together before your appointment.

If the officer confirms admissibility and bona fide intent, the State Department issues a single-entry K-1 visa valid for no more than 6 months. Inadmissible K-1 applicants may seek a Form I-601 or Form I-212 waiver if eligible, and a Form I-601 waiver granted for a K-1 application remains valid only if you marry the petitioner. If the officer decides your relationship is not genuine, the State Department will not issue the visa. Instead, the embassy sends your Form I-129F back to USCIS. If the returned petition has expired, USCIS lets it stay expired, though your U.S. citizen fiancé can file a new Form I-129F.

• Form audit: Compare Form I-129F, your K-1 visa application, and Form I-134 for matching birth dates, addresses, and jobs.
• Prior family history: Verify ex-spouses' names, exact divorce or death dates, and all children's ages and travel plans.
• Meeting log: List how you met (including any app or broker), every in-person trip date and city, and who paid.
• Petitioner household: Confirm the petitioner's employer, income on Form I-134, U.S. address, and parents' and siblings' names.
• 90-day marriage plan: Confirm your U.S. wedding plan and avoid any foreign ceremony before travel that could count as a legal marriage.

After K-1 approval: 90-day marriage rule and Form I-485

At the U.S. port of entry, Customs and Border Protection collects biometrics, interviews you, and decides admission for a strict 90-day stay conditioned on marrying the Form I-129F petitioner. Under 8 CFR 214.1(c)(3)(iv) and USCIS rules, K-1 and K-2 status cannot be extended, and K nonimmigrants cannot change to another nonimmigrant status in the United States unless seeking T or U status.

Once married within 90 days, enter the marriage green card process by filing Form I-485 by mail or online with Form I-864, your marriage certificate, Form I-797 approval notice, Form I-94, and Form I-693 vaccination proof. K-1 entrants cannot adjust status on any other basis (except U or T status), though a valid, bona fide 90-day marriage that later ends by divorce or death still allows adjustment. Report address changes within 10 days on Form AR-11, and do not depart while Form I-485 is pending without Advance Parole on Form I-131.

You can apply for a work permit on Form I-765 right after arriving, but that permit expires 90 days after your entry. Alternatively, you can file Form I-765 together with Form I-485 after the wedding. That permit is valid for one year and can be renewed in one-year increments. USCIS charges additional fees to file Form I-765 and Form I-131 with Form I-485 packages filed after April 1, 2024. Approval before your second wedding anniversary yields a 2-year conditional Green Card requiring Form I-751 within 90 days before expiration, while approval after two years grants a 10-year Green Card. Unmarried K-2 children admitted under age 21 apply with or after the K-1 parent.

Practice example

How and when did you meet your fiancé, and how many times have you spent time together in person?

State how your first contact began, the month and year it started, and whether you connected in person or online. If you used an app or website, name it plainly so it matches the International Marriage Broker answer on Form I-129F. Next, give the dates, cities, and lengths of each face-to-face visit, covering trips in the 2 years before Form I-129F was filed and any visits since. Keep your timeline to two or three plain sentences matching your visa application and Form I-129F. Have boarding passes, passport stamps, and dated photos ready in your folder, and offer your travel records rather than guessing if you forget an exact flight day.

The consular officer is checking both the 2-year in-person meeting requirement and whether your relationship is bona fide rather than arranged for an immigration benefit. Specific dates and cities that match Form I-129F and your travel records resolve doubts quickly.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.