K2 Visa Child Visa
If your fiancé(e) has a child who is under 21 years of age and is unmarried, the child may be eligible to come to the United States on a K-2 nonimmigrant visa. You must include the names of your fiancé(e)’s children on the Form I-129F if you wish to bring them to the United States. The children must continue to be unmarried and under 21 in order to be admitted to the United States as K-2 nonimmigrants. They may travel with your fiancé(e) or after your fiaancé(e) arrive, but they cannot travel to the U.S. before your fiancé(e).
A K-2 visa can be issued at the same time or up to one year after the issuance of the parents K-1 visa or K1 fiancé(e) visa. If you and your fiancé(e) are married within 90 days of your fiancé(e)’s admission into the U.S., your fiancé(e)’s children who were admitted as K-2 nonimmigrants may also apply for a Green Card by filing Form I-485 with USCIS. However, K-2 nonimmigrant children must remain unmarried in order to be eligible for a Green Card. K-2 nonimmigrant children should apply for a Green Card at the same time or after your fiancé(e).
Who is Eligible for a K–2 Visa?
To be eligible for the K-2 visa, the applicant must be the child of a K-1 visa holder. The applicant must be under the age of 21 and unmarried.
Please note that a K-2 visa does not bring the applicant the status of an immigrant. After the formal marriage, the children of the fiancé (e) are required to file an application to register permanent residence (Form I-485) for the change of visa status.
If the children want to travel later than one year from the date your K-1 visa was issued, they will not be eligible to receive K-2 visas, and separate immigrant visa petitions will be required. If the one year period is exceeded the children will then need CR-2 visas to enter the United States.
K2 Visa Requirements
- The unmarried child of a K1 applicant.
- The child must be under 21 years old at the time the visa will be issued at the US embassy in Thailand.
K2 Visa Benefits
- K-1 and K-2 visa applicant can file the same I-129F application from Thailand
- K-2 visa for the child will be approved at the same time as the Thai fiancée K-1 at the US Embassy in Bangkok
- The child is allowed to study in the U.S. on K-2 visa and/or apply for Employment Authorization I-765.
- The child is allowed to apply for permanent residence once the K-1 visa holder marries the U.S. citizen.
- Cheaper and faster processing compared to CR-2 Visa