To obtain a United States green card, people sometimes enter into fraudulent marriages with US citizens. In recent times, immigration marriage fraud has increased to widespread proportions in the USA. It is so common that a number of television reality shows dedicated to the topic air every week.
Generally speaking, immigration marriage fraud is when a person marries a native citizen to evade the immigration laws. That marriage is considered a fraud marriage and can lead to serious criminal charges for those involved.
Persons convicted of immigration marriage fraud may face severe penalties including fines and jail time. Therefore, if you have been accused of involvement in any such fraud, consider talking to a lawyer right away. Visit a website to find answers to your questions.
Types of Marriage Fraud
There are a number of various types of immigration-based marriage fraud. These include:
- A US citizen paid to marry a foreign national;
- A US citizen agrees to marry a foreign national as a favor to the national or someone else;
- A foreign national defrauds a US citizen by convincing them to enter into a sham marriage that the US citizen believes to be genuine;
- A “mail-order marriage” where at least one party knows the marriage in fraudulent;
- Visa lottery frauds
Penalties for Immigration Marriage Fraud
The penalties for engaging in immigration marriage fraud are severe. Both the US citizen and the foreign national can be charged with criminal activity if US immigration believes one or both parties entered into a marriage solely to avoid US immigation law. The penalties can include:
- Up to $25,000 fine and a prison sentence of up to 5 years or more;
- Deportation of the non-citizen couple to their respective countries;
- Denial or revocation of immigration status;
- Rejection of Immigrant visa petition immediately;
- Visa fraud, making false statements, other criminal charges crimes can also add additional fines and prison sentences.
How to Avoid Immigration Marriage Fraud?
Just because you are engaged or planning to marry someone from a foreign country is no cause for concern. During your immigration process to bring your spouse to the United States, you will both need to follow all of the advice and guidance of the United States government.
All they have to do is to take a little bit of preparation for the interview. An immigration officer will arrange a consultation to determine whether the marriage is genuine or fake.
If the officer finds their marriage suspicious, the officer will arrange a “Stokes Interview,” which generally means that the person will be interviewed separately and compare the discrepancies. During your interview, the following tips are recommended:
- Answer Promptly and Calmly:Do not panic or hesitate while answering the questions asked by the officer. If you make slight mistakes, they will be suspicious as they are well trained to evaluate your answers, body language, and attitude.
- Dress well & professionally and be right on time:The first impression is the most important and here is no different. So, clean and neatly and be right on time so that the officer can determine whether your marriage is genuine or not.
- Prepare sample questions before the interview: It is a good idea to prepare a few sample questions before attending the interview with your spouse. This will help both of you be more prepared and ready to interview.
- Safeguard your relationship evidence: At the time of the interview, do not forget to bring documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, marriage photos, visa documents, passports, joint bank accounts, and anything else that can evidence your relationship.
Don’t risk putting your immigration status in jeopardy. Contact one of our experienced immigation attorneys today. Our well-experienced immigration lawyers will fight to protect your rights and the rights of your potential spouse.