How To Write a Cover Letter for Form I-129F (Petition for Alien Fiancé)

What Is a Form I-129F Cover Letter?

You’ll need to file Form I-129F: Petition for Alien Fiancé if you are a U.S. citizen who wants your foreign partner to receive a K-1 visa. Though it’s not required, writing a cover letter to supplement this form can be helpful for USCIS. A cover letter is a document that outlines your application contents and addresses any unusual circumstances you’d like to flag for your application readers.

A cover letter can give your USCIS officer a useful overview of you and your partner’s case. You can also use your cover letter as a personal checklist to make sure you’ve included all necessary documents in your package.

Is a Cover Letter Required for My Form I-129F Application?

USCIS does not require a cover letter for your Form I-129F petition package. However, it’s often beneficial for applicants to include cover letters. A cover letter can help your USCIS officer better understand and evaluate your overall application.

If there is anything unclear about you and your foreign fiancé’s relationship, a cover letter gives you the opportunity to address these concerns upfront. Remember that USCIS only wants to distribute K-1 visas to couples in genuine relationships. If there is anything unusual about how your relationship started or progressed, you may wish to address it with a disclaimer in your cover letter. 

If you call attention to any unusual circumstances in your cover letter, you’ll be able to explain your side of the story in greater detail. By giving USCIS greater clarity on your case, you can make it easier for the USCIS officer to process your application.

What Should My K-1 Fiancé(e) Visa Cover Letter Include?

You should begin your Form I-129F cover letter with a heading and greeting. Your heading should provide USCIS officials with your mailing address, your name, and your foreign partner’s name. Your introduction should then explain your reasons for writing this cover letter. Use your introduction to give USCIS a basic overview of your relationship and tell them you are seeking a K-1 visa for your fiancé.

Checklist of Information To Include in Your K-1 Fiancé Visa Cover Letter

USCIS will find it most helpful if you include the following information in your cover letter:

• Your contact information

• The USCIS address to which you’re sending this letter

• Your full name as the petitioner

• Your fiancé’s full name as the beneficiary

• A note stating which form and visa you are filing an application for

• A list of all the supporting documents you’ve included in your package, in bullet points:

  • You must include evidence of your U.S. citizenship, such as your birth certificate, copy of your naturalization certificate, Form FS-240, an unexpired U.S. passport, or an original statement from a U.S. consular officer verifying that you are a citizen with a valid passport.

  • You’ll also need evidence that you and your fiancé have legally terminated any previous marriages. For example, you may need to include divorce decrees, annulment orders, or a former spouse’s death certificate.

  • You’ll need one color passport-style photograph of yourself.

  • You’ll also need one color passport-style photograph of your fiancé taken within 30 days of filing.

  • If you or your fiancé have ever changed your name, you’ll need to provide evidence of this legal name change.

  • You’ll need evidence that you and your fiancé intend to marry within 90 days of their admission into the United States.

  • Finally, you’ll also need evidence that you and your fiancé have met in person within two years of filing for this visa. Alternatively, you may submit evidence that an in-person meeting would cause extreme hardship or violate strict traditions of your fiancé’s foreign culture.

• Your signature and the date

Lastly, you should thank USCIS for their time and conclude your letter. Remember that this cover letter should be the first part of your application package that USCIS sees. You should place it at the top of your overall package before mailing it out to the appropriate USCIS office.

Where To Send Your Form 1-129F Application & Cover Letter

Note that USCIS processes Form I-129F at its Dallas lockbox, so you should mail your application to the address below that corresponds with your chosen mailing method:

U.S. Postal Service (USPS)

USCIS

Attn: I-129F

P.O. Box 660151

Dallas, TX 75266-0151

FedEx, UPS, and DHL

USCIS

Attn: I-129F (Box 660151)

2501 South State Highway 121 Business

Suite 400

Lewisville, TX 75067-8003

Note that there is a $535 fee to file Form I-129F. You may pay this fee with a money order, personal check, or cashier’s check. You should make any checks payable to the “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” When filing at a USCIS lockbox, you also have the option to pay by credit card. To pay with a credit card, you’ll need to file Form G-1450: Authorization for Credit Card Transactions.

Form I-129F Cover Letter Template

You may use the following template for guidance when writing your USCIS Form I-129F cover letter. However, be sure to edit each field to reflect your own situation. You should replace each [bracketed field] with personalized information. To access an editable version of the Form I-129F cover letter sample below, you may make a copy of this sample USCIS cover letter.

Your foreign partner will be known as the “beneficiary” in this visa petition. You, the U.S. citizen sponsoring your foreign partner, are the “petitioner.” Note that you must be a U.S. citizen to sponsor your foreign partner’s K-1 visa application. U.S. green card holders cannot apply for K-1 visas for their foreign partners.

[Petitioner’s Street Address]

[Petitioner’s City, State  ZIP code]

[Date]

USCIS

[Relevant USCIS mailing address]

RE:[Marriage Green Card Application]

Beneficiary:[Immigrant’s Full Name]

Petitioner:[Citizen/Green Card Holder’s Full Name]

To Whom It May Concern:

Enclosed, please find my [K-1 Fiance Visa Application] for [Immigrant’s Full Name], the beneficiary, and [Petitioner’s Full Name], the petitioner and [U.S. citizen/Green Card Holder fiance] of the beneficiary. The following documents accompany and support this application:

1. Filing Fee Payments

   1. [Check or Money Order] in the amount of [Current Fee Amount] for Form I-129F or 

   2. Form G-1450 authorizing payment of the filing fees for all included forms (credit card charge authorization if you completed one)

2. [OPTIONAL Form G-1145 (e-notice authorization if you requested them in our system)]

3. Petitioner’s Form I-129F

   1. [List of supporting documents]

If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at [Phone Number].  Thank you very much for your prompt consideration of my [K-1 Fiance Visa Application].

Sincerely,

[Petitioner’s Full Name]

[Petitioner’s Signature]

[Signature Date]

Tips for Writing Your K-1 Fiancé Visa Cover Letter

Be sure to write your letter clearly and concisely. Remember that your cover letter is only a summary of your application contents, so you won’t need to write too many details in this letter. You should also use bullet points when listing your included application materials. Using bullet points will help your USCIS officer more easily understand your application throughout the visa process.

Within your letter, you’ll want to mention that the documents you’ve provided throughout your package are accurate and unaltered original documents or photocopies. If you’ve included any certified translations in your package, be sure to mention this too.