90 Day Fiance alum Corey Rathgeber shared some good news with his fans over the weekend.
The 34-year-old TLC star gave up his life in Washington State to move to Ecuador with his then-love interest, Evelin Villegas, during Season 1 of 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way.
While Evelin stayed with Corey and his family during her visit to the U.S., she refused to live in the States and gave Corey an ultimatum: move to Ecuador to live with her, or lose her forever.
Corey ended up moving to South America but eventually returned to the U.S. – due to paperwork delays and for business – while Evelin remained in her native Ecuador.
Corey has since returned to Ecuador and was “terrified” because his permanent residency interview was imminent. Since Corey is still admittedly “terrible” at speaking Spanish and the interview would be conducted 100 percent in Spanish, he worried that he may not be approved.
Taking to Instagram, Corey shared footage of himself and Evelin arriving for his interview.
90 Day Fiance alum Corey Rathgeber is officially an Ecuadorian resident
“If I don’t pass this, I have to leave the country,” Corey told his followers as he recorded himself and Evelin walking outside toward their destination. “It’s scary!”
Corey admitted that it would be “very sad” if it didn’t pass the interview because it would mean he’d be “kicked out” of Ecuador immediately. It was a huge moment in his and Evelin’s relationship that had them both sitting on the edge of their seats.
Following his solo interview, Evelin had to be interviewed in front of the same panel.
After Evelin’s interview, she and Corey had to wait two weeks while the board reviewed their information before coming to a final decision.
Corey was happy to update his fans, letting them know that he was approved for Ecuadorian residency. As he exited his final interview, holding up his paperwork, Corey exclaimed, “I got it! Crazy… I got it. That’s so cool!”
In text over his video, Corey wrote, “I am officially an Ecuadorian resident, and it feels great! The next step is citizenship, which I will be working towards. … Thanks again for all the support you all bring! It means more than you know.”
Corey and his wife Evelin Villegas’ plans to relocate to the U.S.
So, what does this news mean for a possible future for Evelin and Corey in the U.S.? As Monsters and Critics reported, Evelin is working on her paperwork to allow her to live in America.
In May 2023, Evelin spoke with Monsters and Critics about her plans to leave her hometown of Engabao and explained that she’ll be required to stay in the U.S. for six months of the year throughout the process.
“I still have businesses here, so I wanna make sure I can go back and forth,” Evelin told us, adding that the U.S. will be her “primary home because I will have to spend the most time there at least for three years.”
Corey and Evelin have a new business venture in the works in Ecuador. The couple is opening a fancy bed and breakfast, which is currently under construction, so details about their plans to relocate to the U.S. are still unclear.
In the comments section of his video, Corey shed a little bit of light on his and Evelin’s plans, although he didn’t divulge any details.
When asked about his and Evelin’s plans to move to America, Corey replied, “First step was this. Now on to the next.”
Season 6 of 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days airs on Sundays at 8/7c on TLC and Discovery+.