How It Works · Updated 2026
From a K-2 Visa to a Green Card: The Child of a Fiance
If your child came to the U.S. with you on a fiance visa, here is exactly how they get a green card, and the one age rule you cannot miss.
In short
A K-2 visa is for the child of a fiance who comes to the U.S. on a K-1 fiance visa. The child gets a green card the same way the parent does: the parent marries the U.S. citizen who brought the family over, within 90 days of arriving, and then the child applies for a green card from inside the U.S. There is no new petition for the child, so it is cheaper, and the family does not have to leave the country. (You may see this called “adjustment of status” on official websites. It just means getting a green card without going back home.) Most cases take 8 to 14 months from filing to green card and cost about $2,330 in government fees for one person if you also get the optional work and travel permits; about $1,440 without them (you do not pay for a new petition).
This is general information to help you understand your options, not legal advice.
The short version
| Who is a K-2 visa for? | A K-2 visa is for the unmarried child, under 21, of a fiance who comes to the U.S. on a K-1 fiance visa. The child travels with the parent, or comes to join them a little later. |
| How does the child get a green card? | The child gets a green card based on the K-1 parent marrying the U.S. citizen who brought them over, within 90 days. Once that marriage happens, the child applies for a green card from inside the U.S. |
| Does the child need a new request with the government? | No. The green card is based on the same approved request (called a petition) the parent already used to come over. The child applies on the same green card form (called Form I-485) as the parent. That also makes it cheaper than a regular case. |
| What if the child is close to turning 21? | If the child was let into the U.S. on the K-2 visa before turning 21, they can usually still get the green card even if they turn 21 during processing. But a child who turns 21 before being let in loses this path. The child must also stay unmarried. Get a lawyer's help for any child near 21. |
| How soon must the child come to the U.S.? | Usually within one year of the K-1 parent being let in. After that, the K-2 visa is no longer an option and a separate process is needed. The child also cannot arrive before the parent. |
| What does it cost? | About $2,330 in government fees for the child (less than a regular case, since there is no new petition), plus a separate medical exam fee you pay to a doctor. |
| How long does it take? | Usually 8 to 14 months from filing to green card. |
Fees are current as of 2026 (source: the USCIS fee schedule). Always check uscis.gov before you file. The 8 to 14 months is a typical range (source: USCIS processing times).
The child rides on the parent’s fiance case
A K-2 visa exists for one reason: to let a fiance bring their unmarried child, under 21, along to the U.S. The child does not have their own separate sponsor. Instead, the child gets a green card based on the same thing the parent does, the parent marrying the U.S. citizen who brought the family over, within 90 days of arriving. Once that marriage happens, the child applies for a green card from inside the U.S. on the same form the parent uses (called Form I-485, the green card application).
The good part is that there is no new request to start for the child. The family continues on the fiance request that was already approved (called a petition), so the child’s green card costs less than a regular case.
The age rule: turning 21 and staying unmarried
This is the most important thing on this page. Two things can quietly close the door for a K-2 child: turning 21 at the wrong time, and getting married. Read this part carefully.
Get the timing right
- If the child was let into the U.S. before turning 21: the child can usually still get the green card, even if they turn 21 later while the case is being processed. Being let in on time protects them.
- If the child turns 21 before being let in on the K-2 visa: the child loses this path and would need a different, harder process.
- The child must stay unmarried. If the child marries, the K-2 path closes.
Because the timing is strict and a mistake here is hard to undo, any child who is close to 21 should get help from a licensed immigration attorney before filing anything.
When the child has to come to the U.S.
The child generally has to come to the U.S. within one year of the K-1 parent being let in. The child also cannot arrive before the parent, they come at the same time or after. If the child waits longer than that one year, the K-2 visa usually stops being an option and the family would need a separate process to bring the child over.
Everything also depends on the parent marrying the U.S. citizen who petitioned for them within 90 days of arriving. If that marriage does not happen, the child’s path through the K-2 usually closes too.
Will the green card be temporary or permanent?
This depends on how long the parent has been married on the day the green cards are approved. If the parent has been married less than 2 years at that point, the family usually first gets green cards that are good for 2 years. Before they run out, one more form (Form I-751) is filed to turn them into the regular 10-year cards. If the parent has been married 2 years or more when the cards are approved, the family gets 10-year cards right away.
One heads-up so official letters do not scare you: on paperwork, that 2-year card is called a “conditional” green card, and the form to make it permanent is called “removing conditions.” That is the same thing described here, just the formal wording you will see from the government.
What it costs for the child
A K-2 child is usually cheaper than a regular case because there is no new petition to pay for. The main government fees for the child are the green card application ($1,440), plus the optional work permit ($260) and travel permit ($630) if you file them together. That comes to about $2,330 in government fees for one person if you also get the optional work and travel permits; about $1,440 without them (you do not pay for a new petition), plus a separate medical exam fee you pay to a doctor.
Fees current as of 2026, source USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055). Verify on uscis.gov before filing.
What proof helps the child’s case
What the child must include
- The parent's marriage certificate to the person who petitioned for them
- Proof the parent married within 90 days of arriving
- The child's entry record (called an I-94, the record showing the date the child arrived)
- The approved fiance petition the parent used
- The green card application and its supporting forms
Show the family relationship
- The child's birth certificate naming the K-1 parent
- Proof the child is unmarried, if asked
- Documents showing the child lives with the parent
- Anything connecting the child to the parent's case file
When it is worth talking to a lawyer
A family with a straightforward situation can usually file on their own. Get advice from an immigration attorney if any of these are true:
- The child is close to turning 21.
- The child is married, or is thinking about getting married.
- The child did not come to the U.S. within one year of the parent being let in.
- The parent did not marry the U.S. citizen who petitioned for them within 90 days.
- The child was ever ordered to leave the U.S., was found to have lied to immigration, or has a criminal record.
Where to read the official rules
You can read the government’s own pages on this here:
Common questions
Who can get a K-2 visa?
A K-2 visa is for the unmarried child, under 21, of a fiance who is coming to the U.S. on a K-1 fiance visa. The child travels with the parent or comes to join the parent a little later.
How does a K-2 child get a green card?
The child gets a green card based on the K-1 parent marrying the U.S. citizen who brought them over, within 90 days of the parent arriving. Once that marriage happens, the child applies for a green card from inside the U.S. The child does not need a new petition to start, so it costs less than a regular case.
What if the child turns 21 during the process?
If the child was let into the U.S. on the K-2 visa before turning 21, they can usually still get the green card even if they turn 21 while the case is being processed. But a child who turns 21 before being let in on the K-2 visa loses this path. The child must also stay unmarried. Because the rules here are strict, get help from an immigration attorney for any child near 21.
Does the child have to stay unmarried?
Yes. A K-2 child must stay unmarried to use this path. If the child marries, the K-2 path closes and a different, harder process would be needed.
How soon does the K-2 child have to come to the U.S.?
The child generally must come to the U.S. within one year of the K-1 parent being let in. After that one year, the K-2 visa is usually no longer an option and the family would need a separate process. The child also cannot arrive before the parent.
Does the K-2 child need a new petition for the green card?
No. The green card is based on the same already-approved fiance petition the parent used. The child applies on the same green card application form as the parent. Skipping a new petition is why a K-2 green card costs less than a regular case.
What happens if the K-1 parent does not marry within 90 days?
The whole path depends on the K-1 parent marrying the U.S. citizen who petitioned for them within 90 days of arriving. If that does not happen, the child's green card path through the K-2 usually closes too. This is a situation worth reviewing with an immigration attorney before filing anything.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
About $2,330 in government fees for the child if you also get the optional work and travel permits, which is less than a regular case because there is no new petition, plus a separate medical exam fee you pay to a doctor. Most cases take 8 to 14 months.
The main things to remember
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A K-2 visa is for the unmarried child, under 21, of a fiance coming to the U.S. on a K-1 fiance visa.
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The child gets a green card based on the K-1 parent marrying the U.S. citizen who petitioned for them, within 90 days. No new petition is needed for the child, so it costs less.
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If the child was let in before turning 21, they can usually still finish even if they turn 21 during processing. A child who turns 21 before being let in loses this path, and the child must stay unmarried.
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The child generally must come to the U.S. within one year of the parent being let in, and cannot arrive before the parent.
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Government fees are about $2,330 for the child, and the process usually takes 8 to 14 months.
This article is general information to help you understand the process. It is not legal advice. Immigration rules and fees change often, so check the official USCIS website (uscis.gov) before you file, and talk to a licensed immigration attorney about your own situation. Information is current as of 2026.
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