Can I fly to the US on approved K1 visa with round trip ticket or should I buy one way?

[ShandoMoncelle 5]

Basically title, my fiancé and I are waiting for the US embassy to process my K1 visa and we're looking at flight prices.
One way tickets to the US are around $1600 were as round trip tickets are $950 or less. Is it gonna be an issue if I buy a round way trip and only use one part of it?

I don't really care if the airline sanctions me but more concerned about the customs officer seeing my round way trip and getting funny ideas.

[Crazy Cat 41,837]

A round trip ticket is fine.  Just make sure the return flight is cancelled.  There are cases where not cancelling caused issues at the AOS interview.

[Leeman15251 35]

If you buy a return ticket you could look into getting a refundable instead of just canceling the return. It could end up being cheaper. We did that and got the money back so the first half end up being pretty cheap. 

[Loren Y 2,755]

did that for my wife when she came on her k1 because round trip was cheaper like you said. Just cancel the return, or get a refundable one as mentioned. Airlines won't care, unless you do it multiple times, and even then they just send you a you've been bad email. I've got a bunch of them in my in box. I do whats called " Hidden city ticketing" all the time to save cash, and even though it pisses off the airlines, not much they can do. For now at least. Just booked another one last week. booked to Thailand, but getting off in Taipei for a week, then jumping a cheaper airline onto Thailand.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Loren Y

[igoyougoduke 1,656]

10 hours ago, ShandoMoncelle said:

Basically title, my fiancé and I are waiting for the US embassy to process my K1 visa and we're looking at flight prices.
One way tickets to the US are around $1600 were as round trip tickets are $950 or less. Is it gonna be an issue if I buy a round way trip and only use one part of it?

I don't really care if the airline sanctions me but more concerned about the customs officer seeing my round way trip and getting funny ideas.

you can buy the 2 way ticket if its cheaper. just forget about the return ticket once you land in US. not an issue.  use skiplagged ( search on google) for cheaper tickets.

Edited June 19, 2023 by igoyougoduke

[Crazy Cat 41,837]

10 minutes ago, igoyougoduke said:

you can buy the 2 way ticket if its cheaper. just forget about the return ticket once you land in US. not an issue.  use skiplagged ( search on google) for cheaper tickets.

Failure to cancel the return leg has caused some applicants big problems during adjustment of Status interviews.  I haven't seen it in a few years, but it has happened.   Maybe USCIS has better record keeping now..LOL.

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Crazy Cat

[Caligirl1 212]

13 hours ago, ShandoMoncelle said:

Basically title, my fiancé and I are waiting for the US embassy to process my K1 visa and we're looking at flight prices.
One way tickets to the US are around $1600 were as round trip tickets are $950 or less. Is it gonna be an issue if I buy a round way trip and only use one part of it?

I don't really care if the airline sanctions me but more concerned about the customs officer seeing my round way trip and getting funny ideas.

I booked a round trip , exactly cause of the price difference- I just didn't board the flight back or even requested a refund. No issues at all.

[Mike E 11,739]

5 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Failure to cancel the return leg has caused some applicants big problems during adjustment of Status interviews.

How did USCIS find out it was not canceled?

[Lemonslice 4,836]

24 minutes ago, Mike E said:

How did USCIS find out it was not canceled?

From erroneous flight manifests...

[TBoneTX 45,267]

The danger alluded to is that the K-1 entrant didn't cancel the return portion of the ticket, the airline didn't correct its flight manifest when the listed passenger (the K-1 entrant) failed to show up for that return flight, USCIS presumed that the K-1 entrant had left the U.S. before approved Advance Parole, and there was no way to disprove the presumption.

 

For this reason, the first action by a K-1 entrant or the petitioner -- despite the excitement and hustle/bustle of U.S. arrival -- should be to call the airline, cancel the return portion, ask for e-mailed confirmation of that cancellation (or at least personally note date, time, and name of airline agent), and file this information with the K-1 entrant's other in-process immigration papers.

 

Following this procedure averts distinct damage that can occur to the Adjustment process.  Take steps to head off this risk, faint though you may consider it.

[Chancy 6,241]

*** Moved from K1 Process & Procedures to Moving to the US forum, where similar topics are discussed ***