Fans of 90 Day Fiancé have seen multiple couples go through the K-1 visa process, and it’s time to explain exactly what this process is and how it works. Falling in love with someone halfway across the world isn’t exactly the easiest thing. The year-long wait inevitably adds even more pressure to each featured relationship, as well as the endless paperwork. Due to these complications, it’s unsurprising that some franchise couples don’t make it to the altar.
Each couple that joins the TLC show has to go through a whirlwind romance, and at least one government consulate, in order to be allowed to be together. Some couples don’t make it over the first hurdle, while others pass their interviews with flying colors. The series goes behind the scenes with long-distance couples as they try to navigate the often complex K-1 visa process. Once the couples have successfully been granted their immigration visas, they have only three months to wed. For most people, that time period is not enough time to make a wise and informed decision about getting married.
The United States is perennially known as a melting pot, but immigration is always a hot-button topic. To many viewers and real-life couples, the 90 Day Fiancé franchise has called into question the validity of the entire process. When the first season premiered, the opening sequence used to ask if the couples were in it for love or Green Cards. The process for a K-1 visa starts with an I-129F Petition, and when it is approved, the foreign spouse is asked to attend an interview. During the interview stage, an immigration official can approve the visa or send it back to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for denial. Each applicant needs a financial sponsor to be considered for approval.
The federal poverty guidelines show that a sponsor must be earning at least $17,420. The next step is to prove that the sponsor earns 125 percent of the guideline amount when they apply for the Green Card. Immigration law goes hand in hand with administrative law. Many immigration lawyers would probably not recommend starring on a show like 90 Day Fiancé because anything a couple says onscreen can be used against them when they are involved in the visa application process.
Most couples who appear on 90 Day Fiancé are approved, since the cameras want to catch all the drama on the show. However, not everyone is approved, and it can take over a year to get an answer from USCIS. As long as there are couples willing to share their love stories, there will likely be a TLC series. The paperwork isn’t always easy or cheap, but in the end, love is sometimes worth the hassle.
