When an I-129F petition is approved, it is forwarded to the U.S. Consulate for a visa interview. Here, an interviewing official has discretion to approve the visa, or send it back to USCIS for denial. The interviewing official will ask standard questions such as when and how the couple met, where he or she planned to live in the United States, and details about the relationship, family members, and other parts of a real relationship. At times, these questions can get quite personal. In addition, there are investigations into a foreign national’s social media and international travel.

On the show 90 Day Fiancé, we see many different angles of shooting: events as they happen, conversations between cast members, production interventions and reaction interviews (interviews by the cast member shot after the events happened to reflect on feelings, points of view, etc.). TLC carefully edits these angles to create a more dramatic and emotional effect for viewers. The greatest downside to this editing is that it may take away from an otherwise real relationship.

For example, take the infamous Nicole and Azan. They allegedly met on an online dating app. When we first meet these two, Nicole flies out to Morocco to meet Azan in person, and there is a reality clash between their cultures (assumed Christian and Islamic). 90 Day Fiancé sure doesn’t do this couple a favor if they really are in love; rather, the show focuses on how Azan feels about Nicole’s appearance (“only 55% attracted to her”), cheating by both parties, texting women all over the world, and how much Nicole’s family doesn’t trust Azan. No wonder his K1 visa was denied.

Another thing that really bothers me about Nicole and Azan is that it seems like the paperwork for the K1 was submitted before they ever met. This is a big red flag. K1 visa applicants must show that they have met their fiancés in person at least once in the past two years. While certain situations may be waived, these exemptions are limited. From a viewer’s perspective, Nicole and Azan only meet after they got engaged.

On the other hand, take the other infamous couple: Mohammed and Danielle. From the beginning, we see stark differences between these two, but Mohammed eventually received his visa and green card. Obtaining a green card through the K1 fiancé process doesn’t end there: in two years, Mohammed must prove his marriage to Danielle was bona fide: i.e., he entered the relationship for love, not for immigration purposes. Otherwise, he cannot review his green card and may be deported. Clips from the show – such as him constantly doubting the wedding, running off without telling anyone and finally leaving Danielle once he received his green card – RED FLAG! This don’t help his case.