Can my fiancée visit me in the U.S. first, so we can make sure we are compatible before starting the K-1 fiancé visa process?
Whether a foreign national can visit his or her fiancé in the U.S. before the K-1 process is initiated depends on whether he or she can gain admission into the U.S. independently of the U.S. fiancé. In other words, the American fiancé cannot “sponsor” or, in most cases, otherwise help the foreign national to get to the U.S. (except through the K-1 program). In fact, the existence of the American fiancé often is an obstacle to getting to the U.S., because it diminishes the foreign national’s ability to overcome the legal presumption of immigrant intent.
