A US citizen engaged to a Guatemalan has two paths: marry in the United States on a K-1 fiancé(e) visa, or marry first and file for a spouse immigrant visa. This page covers the K-1: who qualifies, what it costs on the government schedules, what the Guatemalan side must supply, and the deadlines that run once your partner lands.
In short: Only a US citizen can file. You file Form I-129F with USCIS ($675); once approved, USCIS sends it to the National Visa Center, which forwards it to the US Embassy in Guatemala City for the interview. The K visa fee is $265. The visa is one entry, valid 6 months. After arrival you have 90 days to marry; K-1 status cannot be extended. Then your spouse applies for the green card on Form I-485 ($1,440 paper / $1,390 online), and a marriage under two years old gives a 2-year conditional card. If you marry in Guatemala first, the K-1 is closed: use the spouse petition.
Who qualifies
USCIS’s four conditions:
- You are a US citizen. USCIS lists only US citizens as petitioners.
- You both intend to marry within 90 days of your fiancé(e)’s admission on the K-1.
- You are both legally free to marry, meaning any previous marriage has ended by divorce, death or annulment.
- You met in person at least once within the 2 years before you file. USCIS says a waiver may be requested if meeting would violate strict and long-established customs of your fiancé(e)’s culture, or would result in extreme hardship to you. The regulation (8 CFR 214.2(k)(2)) leaves that exemption to the director’s discretion.
USCIS also states the marriage must be valid, with a bona fide intent to establish a life together, and not for the sole purpose of an immigration benefit.
The K-1 is not for couples who are already married, who plan to marry outside the US, or whose partner is already legally in the US. USCIS sends those cases to the spouse route. If you plan the wedding in Guatemala, see marrying a Guatemalan in Guatemala as a US citizen.
The steps and who handles each
| Step | Agency | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Petition | USCIS | You file Form I-129F. USCIS may send a request for evidence, then approves or denies and gives reasons |
| 2. Transfer | National Visa Center | USCIS sends the approved I-129F to the NVC, which forwards it to the embassy where your fiancé(e) lives |
| 3. Interview | US Embassy, Guatemala City | The embassy notifies you of the interview date; the consular officer decides the visa |
| 4. Entry | CBP | Your fiancé(e) travels while the visa is valid; the CBP officer makes the final admission decision |
| 5. Marriage | You | Within 90 days of admission |
| 6. Green card | USCIS | Your spouse files Form I-485; USCIS says an interview is usually required |
USCIS notes that background and security checks may be run on both of you at each stage, and that if the consular officer does not find the relationship bona fide, the State Department returns the I-129F to USCIS.
The fees on the published schedules
| Fee | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-129F, petition for alien fiancé(e) | $675 | USCIS fee schedule G-1055 (edition 09/09/26) |
| K visa application (fiancé(e) or spouse of a US citizen) | $265 | State Department fee page (Wayback copy of July 9, 2026) |
| Reciprocity (issuance) fee for Guatemalan K-1 | None | State Department reciprocity table for Guatemala |
| Form I-485, green card, applicant over the age of 14 | $1,440 paper / $1,390 online | USCIS fee schedule G-1055 |
Not on these schedules: the panel physician’s medical exam, vaccinations, translations and travel. We do not quote them here.
What the Guatemalan side supplies
The State Department’s reciprocity and civil-documents page for Guatemala (Wayback copy of May 11, 2026) sets out where the civil documents come from:
| Document | Where it comes from | Fee listed by the State Department | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth certificate (certificado de nacimiento) | RENAP, not the city or town | Q15 in person, Q19 online | Both pages of the document are required; certified copies are not available; authenticity can be checked with the QR code |
| Police certificate (constancia de antecedentes) | Ministerio Público | Free | Only applicants 18 and older; requested online from within Guatemala, or by email with a DPI copy from abroad; the State Department says the answer arrives by email within 48 hours |
| Divorce certificate, if previously married | RENAP | Q15 | The annotated birth certificate is not accepted in place of the divorce certificate |
The medical exam with an embassy-approved panel physician, and how the interview day works, are covered on immigrant visa interview in Guatemala City. That page is written for immigrant visas; follow the embassy’s own instructions for your K-1 case where they differ. If your fiancé(e) needs a certificate of single status from RENAP, see the RENAP single status certificate.
The visa and the clock
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Petition validity | An approved I-129F is valid for 4 months; a consular officer may revalidate it for another 4 months if you are both free to marry and intend to marry within 90 days of entry | 8 CFR 214.2(k)(5) |
| Visa | One entry, valid 6 months | State Department reciprocity table, Guatemala |
| Children | An unmarried child under 21 can come on a K-2 if named on the I-129F; they may travel with or after the parent, not before | USCIS |
| Marriage deadline | 90 days from admission | USCIS; 8 CFR 214.2(k)(6)(ii) |
| Work | Your fiancé(e) may apply for a work permit (Form I-765) on arrival, valid only for the 90 days; or together with the I-485, valid one year and renewable | USCIS |
| No marriage in 90 days | K-1 and K-2 status expire and cannot be extended; USCIS says the fiancé(e) and children must generally leave, and that staying may lead to removal and affect future eligibility | USCIS |
| Late marriage | If you marry after the 90 days, USCIS says you may file a Form I-130 | USCIS |
After the wedding: the green card
Your spouse files Form I-485 with USCIS. USCIS says that if you were married less than two years when it approves the I-485, your spouse receives conditional permanent residence and a green card valid for 2 years, and must file Form I-751 in the 90 days before that card expires to remove the conditions.
Is anything paused for Guatemalans?
The K-1 is a nonimmigrant visa. The State Department’s 75-country pause, which included Guatemala from January 21, 2026, applied to immigrant visa issuance, and our page on it records nonimmigrant visas as never affected. As of September 23, 2026 that pause had not been in effect since August 21, 2026 under a court order, with an appeal pending. Details and updates: US immigrant visa pause and Guatemalans.
Related
- Marrying a Guatemalan in Guatemala as a US citizen: the other route
- Affidavit of support I-864 for a Guatemalan relative
- Single status certificate for a US marriage: for a Guatemalan already in the US who marries there
Sources, read on 24 September 2026 unless stated: USCIS pages Visas for Fiancé(e)s of U.S. Citizens (last updated March 23, 2018) and Form I-129F; USCIS fee schedule G-1055, edition 09/09/26 (retrieved 23 September 2026); 8 CFR 214.2(k) (eCFR); State Department fees for visa services (Wayback copy of July 9, 2026) and reciprocity and civil documents for Guatemala (Wayback copies of May 11 and July 1, 2026; the live State Department site refused our requests). General information, not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can file for a K-1 fiancé(e) visa?
Only a US citizen. USCIS lists four conditions: you are a US citizen; you and your fiancé(e) intend to marry within 90 days of the fiancé(e)’s admission on the K-1; you are both legally free to marry; and you met in person at least once in the 2 years before filing, unless you get a waiver for extreme hardship to the petitioner or strict and long-established customs of the fiancé(e)’s culture.
How much does a K-1 visa for a Guatemalan cost?
Two government fees on the published schedules: $675 for Form I-129F at USCIS (fee schedule G-1055, edition 09/09/26) and $265 for the K visa application at the State Department. After the wedding, the green card application (Form I-485) is $1,440 on paper or $1,390 online for an applicant over the age of 14. The medical exam and Guatemalan documents are extra and not on those schedules.
Can we marry in Guatemala and then use a K-1?
No. USCIS says that if you have already married, or plan to marry outside the United States, your partner is not eligible for a fiancé(e) visa; the route is the spouse petition (Form I-130) and an immigrant visa.
How long is a K-1 visa valid?
The State Department’s reciprocity table for Guatemala lists the K-1 as one entry with 6 months’ validity and no reciprocity fee. Under the regulation (8 CFR 214.2(k)(5)) an approved I-129F is valid for four months and can be revalidated by a consular officer.
What happens if we don't marry within 90 days?
USCIS says K-1 and K-2 status automatically expires after 90 days and cannot be extended, and that the fiancé(e) and children must generally leave the US if you do not marry. If you marry after the 90 days, USCIS says you may file a Form I-130 instead.
What Guatemalan documents does the fiancé(e) need?
The State Department’s civil-documents page for Guatemala says birth certificates come from RENAP, not the municipality, and cost Q15 in person or Q19 online. The police certificate is the Ministerio Público’s constancia de antecedentes, free, for applicants 18 and over. The full interview list is on the embassy’s instructions for your case.
