Methodology

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To examine how the K-1 fiancé visa program has changed over time, researchers at Manifest Law analyzed data from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ (USCIS) Immigration and Citizenship Data, the U.S. Department of State’s FY2024 Nonimmigrant Visa Statistics, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) FY2024 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 5-Year Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2024). USCIS data were used to analyze Form I-129F petition receipts, approvals, pending caseloads, and median processing times. Annual K-1 visa issuance data by country were obtained from the Department of State's Report of the Visa Office, while state-level K-1 fiancé visa arrivals were obtained from DHS's Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. Per capita state rankings were calculated using Vintage 2024 U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and are expressed as K-1 fiancé visa arrivals per 100,000 residents.

Researchers calculated quarterly petition receipts, petition approvals, pending petitions, and median processing times using USCIS data through the first quarter of 2026. Annual visa issuance trends and country rankings were calculated using Department of State data through fiscal year 2024, while state-level rankings reflect the number of K-1 fiancé visa holders admitted to each state during fiscal year 2024. USCIS, the Department of State, and DHS all report on the federal fiscal year, which runs October 1 through September 30. Regional country totals were calculated by grouping countries into standard geographic regions.

Because USCIS, the Department of State, and DHS each report different stages of the K-1 visa process, figures are not directly comparable across datasets. USCIS reports petitions filed and adjudicated, the Department of State reports K-1 visas issued by U.S. embassies and consulates abroad, and DHS reports admissions of K-1 visa holders into the United States. Differences in reporting periods and processing timelines may therefore result in variations between agency totals for the same year.

For complete results, see The Changing Landscape of Immigrant Fiancé Visas in the U.S. on Manifest Law.

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The Changing Landscape of Immigrant Fiancé Visas in the U.S.
The Changing Landscape of Immigrant Fiancé Visas in the U.S.
The K-1 fiancé visa system is entering a new phase. After years of pandemic-related backlogs, U.S. officials issued more K-1 visas in 2024 than in any year in more than a decade—but new data shows that processing improvements are already beginning to reverse, with pending petitions and processing times rising again. Researchers at Manifest Law analyzed the latest data from USCIS, the U.S. Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security to examine how the K-1 fiancé visa system has changed, including where K-1 fiancé visa holders are settling across the U.S. 1 min