Marriage is intended to be a union between two people that love each other and want to spend the rest of their lives together.
However, not every marriage is based on a fairy tale, and some couples decide to get married for reasons that have nothing to do with being in love and desiring to build a life together.
If you were to discover that a couple is married for unlawful reasons, you might wonder what happens when you report a fake marriage. Usually, fake marriages are arrangements made in order for one member of the couple to immigrate more easily.
If you were to report a fake marriage, a United States Immigration & Customs officer will want to interview you in order to find out as much as possible about the suspected fake marriage.
You can report a fake marriage anonymously if you don’t feel comfortable having your identity known, but it’s best to identify yourself.
The person or persons involved in the fake marriage may be deported if they married an American in order to obtain a green card.
Table of Contents
What happens if a woman discovers that her husband married her to obtain a green card?
If you discover that your husband married you in order to obtain a green card (and not just because he loves you), you need to report this as soon as possible.
If you fail to move out and report the marriage as soon as you make the discovery, you could face charges.
If this happens, you will very likely be hurt and confused. Regardless, you need to do the right thing as soon as possible to ensure you’re not faced with any charges.
Do couples get married for other reasons besides being in love or trying to obtain green cards?
Couples get married for many other reasons besides being in love or for residency purposes.
Some couples get married because they have conceived a child together and they hope to fall in love and raise a family together.
This is not an example of a fake marriage situation, however.
Do couples sometimes marry just for financial purposes only?
As long as both parties are citizens of the United States, it is perfectly legal for a couple to marry for any purpose that they desire, and if they don’t love each other but want to marry for financial purposes, then they can.
Many couples marry for financial reasons. Some eventually fall in love, while others don’t.
For some, it’s simply a financial arrangement that works best for them both.
What if a woman accepts a large amount of money to marry an immigrant and help him gain citizenship?
If a woman marries an immigrant for any amount of money only to help him gain United States citizenship, then she is not helping him; she’s committing a crime.
It is a federal crime to knowingly marry an immigrant for visa purposes, whether or not money is involved.
If an immigrant offers a woman money to get married, she is better off running the other way.
What is the punishment for entering into a fake marriage to help an immigrant?
The United States takes marriage for the sole purpose of obtaining a green card very seriously.
Not only could you both be fined up to $250,000, but you could even face five years in prison.
If an immigrant ever propositions you, it’s in your best interest to immediately decline.
Why is it illegal to marry an immigrant to help him gain access to a green card?
The United States has strict rules against immigrants coming to America and trying to become citizens under false pretenses.
There is a great deal of red tape that immigrants need to go through in order to be allowed into the United States legally, and the United States does not want immigrants living in this country and potentially participating in illegal activities because they’re unable to obtain a job in the traditional manner.
Laws regarding immigrants were created to keep the United States safe and free of potential criminals from other countries.
What if a woman and an immigrant really are in love and want to marry?
If a woman and an immigrant fall in love and want to marry, there are no laws against them doing so.
However, if the woman decides to help her new husband obtain a green card, the couple should prepare themselves for possible questioning by U.S. immigration.
As long as you and your new husband are truly in love and plan to live a life together, then you have nothing to worry about.
Should a woman date a man from a foreign country?
If a woman meets a man who is from a foreign country and wishes to date him, then she should do so.
There is nothing wrong with dating an immigrant, and as long as they’re not considering getting married under false pretenses, then everything is fine.
If they ever decide to get married, it should be for romantic and legal reasons and not because he wants to remain in the United States permanently.
Why do immigrants try to come to the U.S. illegally?
Many immigrants attempt to come to the United States and become citizens under false pretenses because they feel that the United States offers more freedom and more opportunities than their home countries.
This may certainly be true, but there are many fees, applications, and interviews involved in obtaining a green card to become a U.S. citizen.
Many citizens lack the funds or the ability to do everything that is required, so they try to do things illegally.
Is it possible to trick the United States Immigration & Customs?
It is always possible to lead the United States Immigration department into believing that you’re involved in a legitimate, loving marriage.
However, officers are becoming increasingly better at detecting fake marriages, so it’s best not to even try it.
Chances are high that you’ll get caught and end up in a great deal of legal trouble if you decide to defy the laws that the United States has set forth.
Are there couples who have gotten away with fake marriages?
There are many couples who were able to successfully enter into fake marriages so a foreign spouse could gain United States citizenship.
However, the stricter the immigration and customs procedures become, the more the U.S. will be able to detect fake marriages.
Immigration & customs officers may suspect that every marriage is fake until they delve further into the case to find reasons that the marriage is legitimate.
Can a woman press charges against a foreign spouse who married her just for a green card?
Since the foreigner is not yet a United States citizen, the best thing that the woman can do is report her new husband to the Immigration & Customs Board and agree to answer any and all questions that they have.
The United States agency will then seek out your husband and possibly charge him with fraud.
He will also likely be immediately deported, so you should be able to get your marriage annulled without a problem.
As you can see, fake marriages can be a huge legal mess if the couple decides to get married so the husband or the wife can obtain a green card.
The United States is very strict about allowing people to immigrate to the U.S. from foreign countries, and everyone needs to undergo the proper procedures in order to obtain a green card.
This is the only way the United States can minimize the chances of potentially dangerous immigrants coming to the U.S. to commit crimes.