Green Card Marriage Horror Stories

If you intend to marry someone in order for them to obtain a green card in the United States, you must be informed of the fraud and immigration laws that you would be breaching.

You may be separated from your new spouse for years as you wait for them to return. If you have children together, your relationship could also be torn apart.

Learn about the risks of green card marriage so you don’t face serious immigration consequences if your relationship does not work out or if you are trying to scam the system to get your new spouse into the country without having them work or contribute to American society in any way.

What is a Green Card Marriage?

The Green Card Marriage is indeed a sort of scam in which one person marries another in order to get permanent residency in the United States.

These marriages are often entered without the knowledge or consent of the U.S. citizen and can have devastating consequences.

Immigration officials may find out about these types of relationships when One spouse applies for immigration benefits (such as Permanent Residence) using the other’s family name.

A child born to this couple acquires citizenship through birthright citizenship because they were born in the United States. At the same time, their parents were not legal residents.

The Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) investigates illegal immigrants living in the United States and finds out they were married to U.S. citizens at some point during their stay in the country.

INS receives information from federal law enforcement agencies about a non-US spouse who entered into a marriage with someone to stay in this country illegally.

Once found, this individual will be deported from the U.S. and banned from reentering for ten years.

It is vital to note that in most circumstances, the non-US spouse will be able to return after ten years if they divorce their partner before then.

However, it should be mentioned that many people who marry for a green card do so with full knowledge of what they are doing.

In some cases, there is even cooperation between both parties to create false evidence on behalf of the relationship so that it looks like both parties want to stay together.

Things to Know about Green Card Marriages

1. 1. A green card marriage is when a foreign national marries a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to obtain permanent residency in the United States.
2. 2. While it may seem like a way to shortcut the immigration process, there are several risks involved in green card marriages.
3. 3. For one, if the relationship is not genuine, you could be charged with immigration fraud, a federal crime.
4. 4. Even if the relationship is genuine, there’s always the risk that things could go sour, and you could end up divorced and deported.
5. 5. So, before you marry someone for a green card, make sure you know them and are prepared for all the potential risks.
6. 6. Some ways to help minimize these risks include having an independent professional perform premarital counseling and applying for a fiancé visa before getting married.

File your taxes

Once granted a green card through marriage, don’t forget to file your taxes.

Taxes will often be withheld from your paycheck throughout the year so long as you file a Form W-4 withholding certificate (giving specific details about how much should be withheld) with your employer on day one.

That way, when tax season rolls around at the end of the year, you’ll have a complete record and can file for any refunds owed to you.

Talk to a licensed therapist or even see a lawyer if you’re worried about something going wrong in your marriage or relationship.

Once you’ve determined it’s worth going forward with the marriage, take steps to protect yourself by signing agreements stating what would happen if divorce proceedings were initiated and get documents like joint bank accounts set up right away.

10 Green Card Marriage Horror Stories

1. 1. One woman married a man she met online, only to find out he was already married with kids.
2. 2. Another woman married a man who promised her a green card but locked her in his house and beat her.
3. 3. One man married a woman so she could get a green card, but then she left him after getting it.
4. 4. A woman got a green card through marriage, but her husband divorced her and took half of everything she owned.
5. 5. A man married a woman for a green card, but she turned out to be mentally unstable and tried to kill him. He filed for divorce, and she responded by suing him for assault.
6. 6. One couple lied about their age difference on the application, which is illegal; when they got divorced six years later, the younger partner ended up losing custody of their children because he was too young to take care of them alone.
7. 7. A woman’s relationship with her husband started well enough, but as soon as they were approved for a green card, he became controlling and abusive; two years later, they’re still living together while she tries to figure out how to leave safely without being deported.
8. 8. In another case, a wife cheated on her husband with a coworker and came home one day to find that he had packed all his things into boxes and given away their dog.
9. 9. In yet another story, a woman married her friend’s brother just so she could stay in the country – but now both siblings hate her.
10. 10. In this last story, one girl said yes to marrying an American citizen because she thought it would make him happy. Still, he left her anyway when they found out they couldn’t have children together.

Conclusion

In short, could you not do it? It’s not worth the risk, even if you are in love. The government is cracking down on these types of marriages, and it’s not worth trying to deceive them.

Furthermore, there are other additional ways to obtain a green card without marrying. If you’re thinking about it, don’t do it. Marriage isn’t that important, no matter how much you might be in love.

Instead, consider all the risks: financial instability, deportation, separation from your family. These are all possible outcomes for couples who have their relationship redefined as a marriage to obtain a green card or visa!