USCIS expects married couples to live together or prove why they don`t currently live together. Not having a good reason for life to separate is a bright red flag for immigration officers. If the couple has a legitimate reason for living apart, such as work or school, the couple must write a letter signed by both explaining in detail the reason for living apart. HSI has a separate division called Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces (DBFTF) to monitor international marriages. Applicants seeking legal reside in the United States by marriage must pass a green card interview. The applicant may be heard with his or her spouse or separately. The respondent (who would normally be the spouse legally residing in the United States) should also expect to be interviewed and be able to answer the questions. The interviewer may ask a number of questions and the couple should expect the questions to explore personal or private issues. Examples of common questions include: Benitez allegedly ran the agency from physical offices in Los Angeles, where he employed his co-conspirators as collaborators. In particular, it is alleged that Valmeo, Ulan, Poquita and Pacson helped negotiate marriages and file fraudulent marriage and immigration documents for the agency`s clients, including false tax returns. Hammer, Duckett, Santos and Loya allegedly served as „brokers” who recruited U.S. citizens willing to marry the agency`s clients in exchange for an upfront payment and monthly payments from client spouses after marriage – to keep the U.S.
citizen responsive and cooperative until the client`s spouse obtained lawful permanent resident status. It is also alleged that Souza and Capindo David referred potential foreign clients to the agency for a commission, typically about $2,000 per referral. Since the introduction of stricter modern immigration laws in First World countries,[8] marriages of convenience have become a common method of allowing a foreigner to reside in the spouse`s most coveted country and eventually obtain citizenship. The couple marries knowing that the marriage is only for obtaining favourable immigration status and without intending to live as a couple. This is often organized as a business transaction with payment of a sum of money and occurs more often with foreigners who are already in the country. [ref. needed] Marriage fraud investigations are conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Together, they uncovered different types of marriage fraud: Another way marriage is considered fraudulent is if your marriage is not legally valid. For example, you are already married to someone and not yet divorced. In this scenario, if you enter into a second marriage, the new marriage is considered invalid. However, these cases are unlikely to result in marriage fraud, as the DBFTF will discover your first marriage and immediately reject your application.
We know that even real marriages can fail. But if you enter into a marriage of convenience to come to Canada as an immigrant, we can: Marriage fraud is a serious crime. If convicted, individuals face up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Immigration courts can also bring other charges against marriage scams, such as harboring a foreigner, visa fraud, conspiracy, and many others. Don`t get involved in a fake marriage. We refuse your visa and may ban you from entering Canada for 5 years. It will remain forever in your immigration file. Marriages of convenience are different from marriage fraud, which is a type of romance scam in which a spouse is unknowingly exploited by the foreign spouse who feigns romantic interest, usually for the purpose of obtaining a residence permit or money. [3] [4] [5] Suspected marriage fraud can be reported to the Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423. Depending on the degree of the citizen`s involvement, he or she is liable to fines and/or imprisonment. If they married voluntarily for money or inducements, they may face serious charges. There have been cases where people have entered into a fictitious marriage to avoid suspicion of homosexuality or bisexuality.
Hollywood studios reportedly asked gay actors such as Rock Hudson to hide their homosexuality in a so-called lavender wedding. As mentioned earlier, marriage fraud is a federal crime. If discovered, both the U.S. citizen and the immigrant will be prosecuted. Legitimately married couples should be able to prove that their relationships are genuine. However, the best way to avoid being accused of marital cheating is to be well prepared for adjusting your status. During this interview, an immigration officer meets with the couple to determine whether their marriage is genuine or not. If the immigration officer suspects that the marriage was fraudulent, the couple must attend a marriage-based interview (also called a „cheating interview” or „Stokes interview”). Jodian Stephenson and Shanon Stephenson have previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit immigration marriage fraud.