Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total lifetime cost
$3,980
Cost before fiancé arrives
$1,190
Cost after marriage (green card stage)
$2,790
Psst — share this and help Rex grow
One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter i-129f petition fee ($).
- 2Enter ds-160 visa application fee ($).
- 3Enter medical exam abroad ($).
- 4Enter i-485 adjustment of status fee ($).
- 5Enter medical exam in us (for i-485) ($).
- 6Enter wedding, travel, translations, misc ($).
- 7Read your total lifetime cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
The K-1 fiancé visa path has costs at two separate stages. First, the I-129F petition costs $675 filed with USCIS while the couple is still abroad and unmarried. After approval, the fiancé pays the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application fee ($265) plus their own medical exam ($200-$500 depending on country). Once the fiancé enters the US and marries within the required 90 days, adjusting status to a green card requires a separate I-485 application (currently $1,440 combined with biometrics), plus another medical exam since the K-1 medical typically expires. This calculator adds petition, visa, two medical exams, and adjustment of status into one lifetime total, since couples are often surprised the K-1 fee isn't the end of the spending, it's roughly the halfway point.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- I-129F petition fee: 675 $
- DS-160 visa application fee: 265 $
- Medical exam abroad: 250 $
- I-485 adjustment of status fee: 1440 $
- Medical exam in US (for I-485): 350 $
- Wedding, travel, translations, misc: 1000 $
Results
- Total lifetime cost: $3,980
- Cost before fiancé arrives: $1,190
- Cost after marriage (green card stage): $2,790
What each field means
Inputs
- I-129F petition fee ($)
- The i-129f petition fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 675 $ so you have a working example on load.
- DS-160 visa application fee ($)
- The ds-160 visa application fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 265 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Medical exam abroad ($)
- The medical exam abroad used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 250 $ so you have a working example on load.
- I-485 adjustment of status fee ($)
- The i-485 adjustment of status fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1440 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Medical exam in US (for I-485) ($)
- The medical exam in us (for i-485) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 350 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Wedding, travel, translations, misc ($)
- The wedding, travel, translations, misc used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1000 $ so you have a working example on load.
Results
- Total lifetime cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost before fiancé arrives
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost after marriage (green card stage)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Do we have to get a green card after the K-1?
Not legally required, but if the fiancé doesn't adjust status, they must leave the US when their 90-day K-1 status expires. Almost everyone who uses a K-1 visa continues to adjustment of status because that's the entire point of the category.
What happens if we don't marry within 90 days?
The fiancé falls out of status and must leave the country; there's no extension available for the 90-day window. If the relationship ends, the fiancé has no path to stay based on that petition and typically must depart.
Is K-1 faster than a spousal visa (CR-1/IR-1)?
Sometimes, but the two-stage cost and two medical exams often make K-1 similarly priced or more expensive than marrying abroad first and filing a spousal petition directly, which needs only one adjustment process. K-1 makes sense mainly when you want the wedding to happen in the US.
Can children come on a K-1 too?
Yes, via the K-2 visa for unmarried children under 21, each requiring their own $75 K-2 application processing and eventually their own I-485 if they adjust status, adding a proportional amount to the total above per child.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Green Card Sponsorship Cost Calculator
Estimate the full cost of sponsoring a spouse, parent, or family member for a green card.
Visa Application Cost Calculator
Add up government fees, biometrics, medical exam, and translations for a visa application.
Immigration Sponsor Income Requirement Calculator (125% FPL)
Check if your household income meets the 125% federal poverty guideline for sponsoring an immigrant.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). K-1 Fiancé Visa Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fiance-visa-cost
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fiance-visa-cost" target="_blank" rel="noopener">K-1 Fiancé Visa Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [K-1 Fiancé Visa Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/fiance-visa-cost) (2026).