Which U.S. States Receive the Most K-1 Fiancé Visas?
California by far sees the highest total fiancé visa arrivals while Hawaii leads the nation in per capita admissions
Source: Manifest Law analysis of U.S. Department of Homeland Security data
Where K-1 visa holders ultimately settle often mirrors broader immigration patterns, with the largest numbers arriving in states that have sizable populations and well-established immigrant communities. California received 8,180 fiancé visa arrivals in FY2024, more than Florida (3,940) and Texas (3,870) combined, the next two highest-ranking states. New York (3,200), Illinois (1,840), Washington (1,450), New Jersey (1,400), and Georgia (1,310) also ranked among the leading destinations, reflecting their large populations and longstanding roles as major gateways for new immigrants.
Adjusting for population presents a different picture. Hawaii recorded 34.6 fiancé visa arrivals per 100,000 residents in FY2024, well ahead of California (20.7), Alaska (20.3), Nevada (20.2), Washington (18.2), and Massachusetts (17.9). Hawaii's unusually high rate likely reflects its unique geographic position in the Pacific and longstanding historical, cultural, and economic ties with Asia.
For more information on how the analysis was conducted, see the methodology section. For complete results, see The Changing Landscape of Immigrant Fiancé Visas in the U.S. on Manifest Law.
What’s Next for the K-1 Fiancé Visa?
The K-1 fiancé visa program appears to be entering a new phase following its post-pandemic recovery. While the State Department largely restored overseas visa operations to drive record K-1 issuances in FY2024, USCIS petition approvals have since slowed, causing pending caseloads and median processing times to climb once again into 2026.
Petitioners now navigate a landscape shaped by updated administrative procedures and higher baseline costs. The Form I-129F filing fee petitions has increased from $535 to $675 on April 1, 2024 under the USCIS fee rule, and adjudications are subject to expanded vetting protocols, elevated evidentiary standards for proving relationship authenticity, and advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems to verify identities. Country-based adjudication holds issued in late 2025 and early 2026 were vacated by a federal court in June 2026, and USCIS is currently treating them as not in effect while the government's appeal to the First Circuit is pending. Applicants from affected countries should confirm current status before relying on either the holds or their removal.
Whether agencies can prevent processing times from escalating further will depend on how effectively USCIS and the Department of State leverage technical infrastructure, such as expanded online filing, automated case intake, and cross-center workload rebalancing, to offset these additional layers of security review. For U.S. citizens petitioning for a foreign fiancé, navigating the K-1 pathway today requires greater financial investment, meticulous documentary evidence, and cautious planning as federal agencies balance mandatory screening protocols with processing throughput.
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