Is green card marriage fraud common?

[Anonymous]

I was talking to a friend and he mentioned that he’s been propositioned several times for a sham marriage to perpetrate green card fraud (was brought up because I’m dating someone here on a visa and things are starting to get serious). He said it’s actually very common in many communities to do this where someone gets legally married and fakes their relationship history, and it’s often difficult for USCIS to prove.

It kind of blew my mind that people will risk imprisonment and go through the hassle of marrying someone you don’t love just to make $10-20k. Why doesn’t this get talked about more?

[Anonymous]

I went to one GC wedding about 20 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Because no one is really “risking imprisonment” if people aren’t imprisoned for this.

Wouldn’t do it in this climate though.

[Anonymous]

It's pretty common. It's basically not enforceable.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's common at all even though I married for papers. I didn't pay anybody anything and we have a kid together.
The reason I was able to get him, is that he had nothing going on in his life. He never worked and he just exists.
I know a lot of people who got the amnesty and ended up marrying their partners. Most of them would not have wanted to get married. One partner went on to bring marry a cousin from abroad.
There are people in partnerships who end up marrying before applying to green card. Many have kids between them. Not sure if you consider that fraud.
I don't know anybody who didn't date the person before.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it is. And has been for a long time.

People get married for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with love. Money, status, connections. Why should permanent residency be any different?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is. And has been for a long time.

People get married for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with love. Money, status, connections. Why should permanent residency be any different?

I think it’s worse if both people are completely in on it from the start. Way more illegitimate that way and an abuse of the system.

If it’s an attractive foreign woman marrying some less attractive guy everyone knows money/residency probably plays a part in it, but usually most couples in this situation try to make it work and have real marriage with kids. Maybe it works out, maybe it doesn’t. But it’s a genuine union.

[Anonymous]

I only have known one but it’s sorta how things have always been.

The wife is from Russia and this was during the time of those international “dating” sites. He picked a couple of ladies to meet from a catalogue of ladies and then took the trip to Russia to meet them. He married one. She’s very good looking and well educated. He’s…okay. Not bad but she obviously made a choice. The deal was that they had to bring her mom over asap.

[Anonymous]

In my experience, I’ve known several people who’ve married and spouses got green card through the marriage. However, in all of the instances but one, the process to actually come live here was very long and complicated. As in 2yrs +. One couple I know has been waiting 4 years for wife to be allowed to move here, no end in sight. I don’t think it’s an easy process, and depending on the country, it may be extremely difficult.

[Anonymous]

YES.

It is very common.

[Anonymous]

I bet every single person responding "yes, it is very common" doesn't ACTUALLY know anyone who got married just for a green card. This uninformed nonsense has to stop.

No, it is not common. Yes, it does happen.

[Anonymous]

Long ago, knew of two. One was a straight up GC sham wedding. They were friends and it was more of a gathering/celebration that someone got to stay in the country. This was a long time ago, and I went to this 'wedding' with my then-boyfriend. Never knew what happened to them.

Second was a good friend. They started out roommates, then started dating, and when he was having trouble going back home to visit family because of the Persian Gulf War (long time ago too), she said I'll marry you. We already know each other, we live together, we're dating, we'll pass. She agreed to stay married for longer so they didn't trigger any review.

They are still married - it turned out great for them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long ago, knew of two. One was a straight up GC sham wedding. They were friends and it was more of a gathering/celebration that someone got to stay in the country. This was a long time ago, and I went to this 'wedding' with my then-boyfriend. Never knew what happened to them.

Second was a good friend. They started out roommates, then started dating, and when he was having trouble going back home to visit family because of the Persian Gulf War (long time ago too), she said I'll marry you. We already know each other, we live together, we're dating, we'll pass. She agreed to stay married for longer so they didn't trigger any review.

They are still married - it turned out great for them!

So the second couple not a scam at all? Why even use them as an example?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Long ago, knew of two. One was a straight up GC sham wedding. They were friends and it was more of a gathering/celebration that someone got to stay in the country. This was a long time ago, and I went to this 'wedding' with my then-boyfriend. Never knew what happened to them.

Second was a good friend. They started out roommates, then started dating, and when he was having trouble going back home to visit family because of the Persian Gulf War (long time ago too), she said I'll marry you. We already know each other, we live together, we're dating, we'll pass. She agreed to stay married for longer so they didn't trigger any review.

They are still married - it turned out great for them!

The second one isn't fraud at all. Just like an arranged marriage isn't fraud and marrying for money or to have kids isn't fraud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, it is. And has been for a long time.

People get married for all sorts of reasons that have nothing to do with love. Money, status, connections. Why should permanent residency be any different?

I think it’s worse if both people are completely in on it from the start. [b]Way more illegitimate that way and an abuse of the system. [/b]

If it’s an attractive foreign woman marrying some less attractive guy everyone knows money/residency probably plays a part in it, but usually most couples in this situation try to make it work and have real marriage with kids. Maybe it works out, maybe it doesn’t. But it’s a genuine union.

But why should that make a difference if both people are in on it? The process for getting permanent residency through marriage to a citizen isn't super easy or quick, so both people do have to be committed and invested for the duration at least.

Of all the immigration loopholes, this one is the least problematic as far as I'm concerned.