The K-1 fiancé visa is a great way for you to come to the United States to plan your upcoming wedding.
However, in order to benefit from this visa, you must meet the strict requirements enforced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
One of these requirements is that you and your fiancé must legally be able to marry one another.
Depending on your age, you may or may not be able to legally get married in the United States.
In order to be eligible for a K-1 fiancé visa, you must:
- Intend to marry a United States citizen within 90 days after you enter the United States;
- Have met your fiancé within the last two years; and
- Be legally able to marry
Assuming you meet the first two requirements, you should make sure that you are old enough to be the beneficiary of a K-1 fiancé visa.
This means that you must be over the age of consent, which is typically 18 years old.
If you are under the age of 18, you are most likely underage in the United States.
However, since each state makes its own laws, the minimum age requirement depends on the rules in the state where you plan to get married.
State-Specific Rules
Most states require that a couple be 18 years or older to marry. Some states, such as Nebraska and Mississippi, may require that you be older.
If you have not yet reached the age of majority in the state you wish to marry, you may be able to obtain parental and/or judicial consent to get married.
In this case, your parent or a judge would determine if getting married is the best option for you.
You can find more information about state-specific guidelines and restrictions on the Legal Information Institute's page on U.S. marriage laws.
For example, in Virginia you must be 18 years old (16 with parental consent), and your marriage license will last for 60 days.
