How to Check Your K-1 Application Status
Learn the different ways to find out the status of your pending fiancé visa application
How do I check the status of my K-1 visa application?
To check the status of your K-1 visa application, you can use the U.S. Department of State’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). You may be able to use other methods as well, depending on a number of different factors. In this guide, we will explain how to get information about your fiancé(e) visa application using various methods.
Where applicable, we will indicate how to inquire with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about the status of the initial Form I-129F (officially called the “Petition for Alien Fiancé”).
Note:
It’s very important that the contact information you supply on all National Visa Center (NVC) and USCIS forms is correct and up-to-date. Failure to provide up-to-date information could result in delays. If you’ve moved, you should update your address as soon as possible (within 10 days) to help avoid unnecessary lapses in communication.
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Check Online
The easiest and most common way to check the status of a K-1 visa application is to use NVC’s online “Visa Status Check” tool. There are two basic steps:
1. Track down the case number or application ID. You’re going to need your 13-digit visa case number (which should have 3 letters and 10 numbers, like this: XYZ9876543210) or your 10-digit alpha-numeric application ID (which should look similar to this: AB123CD4EF).
Where do you find this number? After USCIS approves the initial petition, NVC should send you an email, or letter, containing the NVC case number and an invoice number, which you’ll need prior to submitting any paperwork or paying any fees. The application ID (sometimes called the “confirmation number”) can be found on the confirmation page of your Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application (or Form DS-160).
2. Navigate to CEAC. Once on the CEAC website, click on the link titled “Check My Visa Application Status,” under the “Nonimmigrant” heading. To check your status, you’ll need to:
- Choose the visa type, which in this case is “Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV)”
- Select the location of the embassy or consulate where your application is being processed
- Enter either your case number or your application ID
- Fill out the CAPTCHA to prove you’re not a robot
- Press the “submit” button
Checking the Status of the Initial Petition
You may also want to track down the status of Form I-129F, which the U.S. sponsor should have already submitted to USCIS. To do this, you can use the USCIS status tracker. All you’ll need is the receipt number listed on Form I-797C (officially called the “Notice of Action”). Similar to the NVC case number, the receipt number should have 13 digits, 3 of which are letters and 10 of which are numbers, as in the following: EAC1524398765. Be sure to omit dashes or hyphens while leaving in other symbols, like asterisks.
Once you’ve entered the receipt number, you can click the button marked “Check Status,” and you should see information regarding the petition.
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Call
As of May 23, 2022, the NVC suspended its telephone line devoted to public inquiries, which means nonimmigrant visa holders – such as those seeking a K-1 designation – will not, for the foreseeable future, be able to call NVC to inquire about their visa status. Any updates to this policy should be listed on the “U.S. Visas Contacts” or “NVC Contact Information” webpages.
When (or if) they re-open the phone lines, you may be able to call NVC at +1-603-334-0700. IN this case, you’ll likely have to wait 30 minutes before speaking to someone, and you will be asked for the following:
- USCIS receipt number or NVC case number
- Birthday
- Name
- Sponsor’s name
You may also inquire about the status of the initial petition (Form I-129F) by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 or, if deaf or hard-of-hearing, you can use the following: TTY 1-800-767-1833. Just be sure to have your USCIS receipt number available.
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Write Email
You won’t be able to inquire about the fiancé visa or Form I-129F by sending an email. There is an NVC email submission form, but it is only available to those applying for an immigrant visa.
Some embassies or consulates may provide their own email submission form. The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam has such a form. To send an email at this particular embassy, you must provide the following:
- NVC case number or, if necessary, the USCIS receipt number
- Full name
- Passport number
- Date of birth
- Email address
- Vietnamese phone number
- Any message you’d like to attach
Note:
Every embassy and consulate has its own set of procedures so be sure to check the website to see if such an option is available.
Update Mailing Address
As of June 1, 2020, to streamline their system, NVC no longer replies to questions sent through the mail. They do, however, send notifications this way, so make sure your contact information is up-to-date in the USCIS and NVC systems. Lack of current information could result in delays.
To update your contact information you can:
- Submit a public inquiry form to NVC
- Log into your USCIS account (if you have one)
You may also:
- Call NVC at +1-603-334-0700 (if the phone lines are open)
- File Form AR-11 (officially called the “Alien’s Change of Address Card”) online