THIS is how to write an I-129F cover letter in the U.S. [2023] (2024)
At a Glance: Form I-129F is an application submitted to the USCIS by a U.S. citizen who plans to marry a foreign national in the U.S. or bring their spouse to the country. The form requires evidence of U.S. citizenship, termination of previous marriages, intent to marry within 90 days, and proof of in-person meeting. A cover letter can be included to provide additional information and organize the application. The letter should introduce the petitioner and beneficiary, list the contents of the application package, and express gratitude. Accuracy and completeness are crucial for a successful application.
Meeting the love of your life can be an exhilarating and life-changing experience. Of course, you’d want to start your life together as soon as possible. Unfortunately, if you’re a U.S. citizen and your loved one is a foreign national, the immigration process can severely delay your “happily ever after”.
Getting your fiancé or spouse into the U.S. requires a Form I-129F. But how can you be sure you’ve done everything you can to see your petition approved? One thing you can do is to include an I-129F cover letter. After you’ve compiled all the required Form I-129F documents into your petition package, it can’t hurt to make it easier for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officer to navigate your application with a concise and clear I-129F cover letter.
What should you include in the I-129F cover letter and what’s the best way to approach it? Here are some guidelines to help you seal the deal!
Table of Contents
What is Form I-129F?
Before we tackle the I-129F cover letter, let’s first unpack the Form I-129F itself.
If your fiancé is a foreign national but you are planning to get married in the U.S. or you’re a U.S. citizen looking to bring your spouse with you to the U.S., you need to apply to the U.S. government to allow them into the country. To do this, you need to submit Form I-129F with the USCIS.
You need to complete the Form I-129F in English. If you complete it in another language it has to be translated by a registered translator. You also need to provide evidence of your U.S. citizenship. You can do this by including a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or U.S. passport.
Other evidence you’ll need to include with your Form I-129F is evidence that you and your fiancé have legally terminated any previous marriages, and evidence of intent to marry within 90 days of their arrival in the U.S.
You also need to prove you and your fiancé have at least met in-person in the last two years since you filed your Form I-129F. If you haven’t met yet, you’ll need to provide proof this is due to your fiancé’s cultural or religious beliefs or there are other extenuating circ*mstances that made it impossible to meet.
Keep in mind the Form I-129F is only for non-immigration entry to the U.S. For your significant other to gain citizenship or residency through marriage would require a different process.
Filing the Form I-129F costs $535 unless you’re filing for your spouse’s permanent residency. In this case, you would also need Form I-797C to prove you’ve filed for Form I-130 (Petition for Alien Relative) plus a valid marriage certificate.
Who Needs Form I-129F?
You need a Form I-129F if you are a U.S. citizen intending to bring your fiancé or spouse who is a foreign national to the U.S.
For a fiancé (K1 visa request), the purpose of bringing them to the U.S. is to get married in the U.S. For a spouse (K3 visa request) it forms part of their application for permanent resident status.
The Form I-129F is also required for any of your fiancé or spouse’s children (K2 and K4 visa requests) who aren’t biologically yours or can’t receive citizenship through their familial relation to you.
What is an I-129F Cover Letter?
How exactly can you explain to a U.S. immigration officer looking over your application the love you have for your significant other beyond the black-and-white information on your form? Well, it’s not with your I-129F cover letter. That’s what the relationship statement is for.
Instead, your Form I-129F cover letter is intended to help USCIS officials get a better grasp of your application. It acts as a reference guide for anything specific they are looking for in your application.
While a Form I-129F cover letter is not required by the USCIS, a good I-129F cover letter can help better organize your application. It will also ensure USCIS officials don’t miss anything when processing your application.
How to Write an I-129F Cover Letter
Clear and concise is the name of the game. This is especially important as an introduction to your petition and in explaining why you are sending the letter. Your I-129F cover letter acts as a summary of your I-129F application and should be the first thing the USCIS officials see when they open your I-129F package.
There are various sample letters on the internet that can help you craft the best one for your specific situation, whether you’re applying for your fiancé or for your spouse and their children. Your I-129F cover letter can be any size, but the general preference is letter size (8.5 x 11).
Firstly, you have to get your details right. Whoever is reading it needs to know exactly which application this letter is attached to.
Also, ensure you’ve got the correct USCIS address and information on the letter. You can use the address of the U.S. immigration center where you submitted your Form I-129F. Your letter should be addressed to the Department of Homeland Security USCIS officer.
Then, start with the introduction of your letter. Introduce yourself and your fiancé/spouse using your full names, and a quick overview of your situation. For example, you are planning to get married in the U.S. or you and your spouse want to be reunited after living apart.
After your introduction, list the contents of your I-129F package in bullet points. This would include the Form I-129F itself, proof of your U.S. citizenship, the relationship, the intent of marriage (in the case of a fiancé), and any other documentation required in the application.
Mention the documents are originals or photocopies or are unaltered. You must ensure your paperwork is precise. Many applications fail due to mistakes made on the form and in the documentation.
Thank the department for their time and remember to add your signature and date at the end. You should submit the original letter with your wet signature, but remember to keep a copy of it for your own records.
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Conclusion
While there are many templates for an I-129F cover letter, remember to use your own discretion and adjust whatever might fit your specific situation.
A precise and organized I-129F application package could make the difference between approval for your happily ever after, or denial of life together in the U.S.
Frank Gogol
I’m a firm believer that information is the key to financial freedom. On the Stilt Blog, I write about the complex topics — like finance, immigration, and technology — to help immigrants make the most of their lives in the U.S. Our content and brand have been featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, VentureBeat, and more.
Explain how you first met your fiancé Describe each in-person meeting in detail – provide dates, locations and circ*mstances. Express what is special about your fiancé and why you fell in love. Declare your intent to get married within 90 days of the K-1 entering the U.S.
Explain how you first met your fiancé Describe each in-person meeting in detail – provide dates, locations and circ*mstances. Express what is special about your fiancé and why you fell in love. Declare your intent to get married within 90 days of the K-1 entering the U.S.
American covering letters follow a very qualify you for the position. 3) Elaborate on the particularly relevant qualities outlined in your résumé that demonstrate individual strengths. 4) Indicate what other documents are enclosed. Reiterate your interest for the position and desire to meet for an interview.
Including photographs from trips you have taken together, family events you have attended as well as from your wedding. Providing photographs over a longer timescale can demonstrate you have been in a relationship for the qualifying period.
The proof of relationship support letter is a letter drafted by the couple's family member or close friend. This letter is designed to provide additional evidence that the couple's relationship is genuine rather than simply a marriage of convenience for immigration purposes.
There are no specific K-1 visa requirements in 2022 for money in a bank account. However, the U.S. citizen fiancé is required to make a minimum of $22,887 for a household of two.
The biggest mistake applicants make is giving inconsistent or dishonest information. USCIS will scan each petition for red flags before deciding whether you have a bona fide relationship. Provide honest and transparent answers to better your chances of K-1 success.
The K1 visa interview is mandatory, so you must be prepared to answer questions about your fiancé, about you, and all the details about your relationship. The K-1 interview isn't a scary process, but you can expect the K-1 interview questions to be personal.
A K1 declaration is a letter showing the fiancé visa applicants' intent to marry within 90 days after arrival in the United States. The intention to marry letter is part of the K1 visa application and is filed with Form I 129F Petition for Alien fiancé.
I humbly request you to consider my application and grant me a Visitor's Visa. Should there be any questions regarding this matter, please contact me at [insert address]. Thank you for your time. The sample documents provided here are for informational purposes only and to be utilized at the user's discretion.
Generally, you should aim for a cover letter word count of 250 to 400 words and about three to six paragraphs. A short, concise cover letter serves as a written introduction to a prospective employer and outlines why you're the best fit for the job.
The Consular Officer may require the sponsored fiance to provide a Form I-134, Affidavit of Support completed by the U.S. citizen fiance. Form I-134 also requires evidence of financial support - things like the U.S. Citizen Fiance's tax returns, pay stubs, and bank statements.
Applications for K-1 visas may be denied or rejected for a variety of reasons, including a suspect relationship, ineligibility to marry, a lack of money, or no plans to get married within 90 days. Naturally, fraudulent applications also lead to a fiancé(e) visa denial or refusal.
Joint bank account statements showing the names of both spouses. Titles or deeds for jointly owned property (real estate or vehicles) Mortgage or loan documents showing joint responsibility for payments. Joint credit card statements showing the name of each spouse as either account holder or authorized user.
The median timeline (as of May 11, 2023) is 14-19 months, according to our internal analysis. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) releases processing times each quarter for all forms, including Form I-129F. Currently, the agency's reported wait time for Form I-129F is 14.5.
If you are a U.S. citizen who wants to bring your foreign fiancé(e) to the United States in order to get married, you will need to file a Form I-129F, Petition For Alien Fiancé(e). This is the first step to obtaining a K-1 nonimmigrant visa for your fiancé(e).
Start off with a sweet salutation like, "Dear darling," "To my love" or invoking their special nickname so they know this letter is all about them. Don't be afraid to get mushy to really set the mood. Next, tell them why you're writing a letter instead of just signing a generic card.
At a Glance: To sponsor your foreign fiancé for a K-1 visa, you need to meet income requirements. Your stable gross earnings after business deductions must be at least 100% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, which is around $16,910 per year for a household of two people.
The U.S. citizen K-1 sponsor will begin by filing the I-129F form, which will take about 12 months to process. The form is filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
An attorney who is familiar with the K1 fiancé visa process can help to ensure that all of your forms are filled out correctly, that you submit the appropriate documents, and that you do not experience avoidable delays in the processing of your case.
Department of State refusal statistics for the K-1 visa reveal that there are about 40,000 denials each fiscal year. This is a 40% visa rejection rate of the total number of K-1 visa applications. While many visa denials eventually overcome the initial denial, others do not.
Age differences between couples is common and generally accepted by USCIS when applying for a K1 Fiance Visa. However, large differences in a couples ages will result in closer scrutiny of your case. I routinely see cases that are approved where the age difference between the couple is 20 to 30 years.
The K-1 visa interview is meant for the foreign national spouse seeking to enter the United States. All that is required of your U.S. citizen fiancé(e) is to sponsor the visa and prove that he or she meets both the K-1 income requirements and the moral eligibility to file the petition.
Choose formal clothing — Professional attire is the way to go with almost any interview, and the same applies to F-1 student visa interviews. Certain formal clothing options such as dress shirts, ties, suits, pantsuits, and jackets are always appropriate.
For this reason, your interview will pack a fair number of standard and personal questions: how long have you known each other, what your wedding plans are, whether you know that your fiancé was divorced or not, what their hobbies are, and so on. At some point, it can get very personal – in the limits of decency.
The letter should be addressed to “Honorable Immigration Judge.” • Introduce yourself, your immigration status, and address. If you are doing so in a professional capacity, letterhead is sufficient and no need to include a personal address.
Now, obviously, you can send USCIS general letters asking them questions about the status your case and things like that. But the one time that you don't want to send a letter to the USCIS is when they've asked you for more information or you've already had your interview.
Be polite. Greet the officer with a good morning or good afternoon. Remember to say thank you after the interview regardless of whether or not you thought the interview went well.
A cover letter is a short letter where you may introduce yourself, describe your background, list your application components, and state the specific immigration status or benefit you, your relative, or your client is seeking.
Form I-129F petitions filed by a U.S. citizen on behalf of a fiancé(e) or spouse must be submitted to the USCIS Dallas Lockbox. File Form I-129F at the USCIS Dallas lockbox.
Considerations when writing a Letter of Explanation
You are creating a summary for the immigration officer to understand your situation better. Be clear and concise without leaving important details out! Maintain a positive attitude in your letter. Positivity can be contagious.
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