“90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days” Provides Viewers with an Inside Look at the Trials and Tribulations of Long-Distance Relationships

By: Brooke Price

The cast of “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days.” Credit: realitytvworld.com

“90 Day Fiancé” is a reality show that centers on an American falling in love with someone from another country. The show focuses on how the couples interact and adapt to the lifestyles when they meet their partners in real life and travel to their country. The show has various spin-offs such as “90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After?,” “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way,” and currently, “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days.”

In “90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days,” the couples formed their relationships online and first meet each other when the American partner travels to their partner’s country. The couples meet each other before they start the K-1 visa process, which the foreign partner needs in order to stay in United States, until they are married. During the season, the couples see each other for the first time and decide if they want to get engaged with one another before they start the K-1 visa process.

The K-1 visa process plays a key role in the show. When two people are engaged, where one is from the United States and one is from a foreign country, and are planning on getting married, they must apply for a K-1 visa. According to boundless.com, the visa “allows the engaged partner of a U.S. citizen to enter the United States, as long as the couple gets married no more than 90 days later. The newly married spouse can then apply for permanent residence (a “green card”) based on marriage.” 

The fiancé from the foreign country can come to the United States temporarily for 90 days, as they have 90 days to get married before their visa expires. Once these 90 days are up and the couple is not married, their partner must return back to their country.

The season has couples who have formed long-distance relationships and communicated from opposite parts of the world. Couples include Lisa and Usman, Stephanie and Erika, Ed and Rosemarie, Geoffrey and Varya, Avery and Ash, Darcey and Tom, Yolanda and Williams and David and Lana. 

Lisa is a hospice caregiver from Pennsylvania. She is dating Usman, a Nigerian singer whose stage name is “Sojaboy.”

Stephanie and Erika are the show’s first LGBT couple. Stephanie is a YouTuber from New York and Erika is a photographer from Australia.

Ed is a photographer who makes up with his 4’11” height with his personality, nicknaming himself “Big Ed.” He is from California and is dating Rosemarie, who is from the Philippines.

Geoffrey is a landlord who lives in Tennessee and he is dating Varya, who is from Russia. Geoffrey’s past puts his relationship with Varya in jeopardy.

Avery and Ash are both single parents, however Ash is also a relationship coach. Avery is from Washington and Ash is from Australia. Avery questions if her relationship with Ash is genuine or if he is just telling her everything she wants to hear due to his profession.

Darcey and Tom have an on-again off-again relationship. Darcey saw photos of Tom with another girl and is over it. Darcey is from Connecticut and Tom is from England.

Some of the couples haven’t met their partners face to face yet. This applies to couples Yolanda and Williams and David and Lana. 

Yolanda has been talking to Williams, who is supposedly from England, however they haven’t been able to meet up. Yolanda’s children try and explain to her that Williams might be catfishing her and help figure out who he really is. 

David has been talking with Lana online for seven years. He has tried to meet up with her three times and each of those times, she has cancelled on him. When he went to Ukraine to meet up with her, she stood him up twice. David wants to find out what is going on with Lana and sets out to find the truth to everything.  

Now, 90 Day Fiancé is adjusting to the current coronavirus pandemic by launching a new series called “90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined.” Couples from previous seasons are self-quarantined in their houses and provide commentary on their daily lives with their family. Couples include David and Annie, Anna and Mursel, and Robert and Anny.

“90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days” and “90 Day Fiancé: Self-Quarantined” are both entertaining to watch and can help time pass during this difficult time.