Love knows no boundaries. You may fall in love with someone while visiting another country. Or maybe you meet someone online and they live on the other side of the world. If you decide to get married, you will need to follow certain processes to allow your spouse to come to the United States legally.

You will need a spouse visa, also known as a K-3 visa. This visa allows the spouse of a U.S. citizen to enter the country and live together while waiting for their green card application to be processed.

Qualifying for a Spouse Visa

There are a number of guidelines that must be met. They include:

• Legal marriage. You must be legally married to a U.S. citizen. This means that the marriage must be recognized as valid based on where the wedding took place.
• Legitimacy. The spouse who is an American citizen will need to file a Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) and provide evidence of the marriage, such as a marriage certificate, joint bank account, lease/mortgage, insurance policies, tax returns, or other documents.
• Financial requirements. The American citizen spouse must prove that they can financially support the immigrant spouse. They must submit Form I-864 (Affidavit of Support), showing that they have an income of at least 125% above the poverty level.
• Clearances. Both spouses will need to undergo medical clearances, while the immigrant spouse must clear security and background checks.