One of the potential ways to obtain a green card is through marriage. This gives someone permanent resident status. They are not a citizen, but a green card is highly beneficial if they’ve gotten married to someone who is a citizen. The green card allows this new spouse to stay in the United States indefinitely so that they don’t have to worry about leaving when a visa expires.
Green card marriage fraud is when two people will pretend to be in a romantic relationship. They will even legally get married. But the relationship itself is fraudulent and they just concocted the plan in order to get the non-citizen a green card. This is considered fraud because they are being dishonest about the nature of their relationship to intentionally game the system and get a green card that they wouldn’t have received otherwise.
How does the government try to prevent this?
There are various ways that the government tries to expose potential green card marriage fraud. Often, they will conduct interviews with couples who are applying for a green card on these grounds. The interviewer will try to determine if the relationship seems authentic or not.
To do so, the interviewer will consider the answers that the people give and how similar they are. For instance, they may ask where they met, if they want to have children, what plans they have for the future, what their daily routines look like, where they went on a first date and much more. The length of the relationship may also be considered.
Exploring your options
If you’re interested in getting a green card, it’s important to demonstrate that the relationship is real so that the process goes smoothly. Make sure you know what legal options you have at this time.