How U. Talk to a Lawyer Need a lawyer? Start here. Practice Area Please select Zip Code. How it Works Briefly tell us about your case Provide your contact information Choose attorneys to contact you.
Related Products More. Becoming a U. How to Get a Green Card. View More. You'd take a look at it and notice that it has a two-year expiration date on it. That's right, the hardest part would be yet ahead of you. Under U. Even if you weren't living together before, the immigration authorities will expect to see you sharing space now. And this is when things can get really tough for people committing fraudulent marriages.
Every immigration attorney has heard stories of couples where one or both of them would bring home a boyfriend or girlfriend, run up debt, or otherwise get on the other person's nerves. At the very least, the friendship is likely to suffer. And at the end of that two-year period, you'd be expected to turn in another application USCIS Form I , containing yet more evidence of your shared life , and both your signatures. If USCIS isn't convinced by your application, then the two of you would be called in for another interview, and the whole fraud might be exposed.
What's described above is the normal application process for a married couple, which doesn't involve much actual contact with immigration officials. If the immigration authorities get suspicious, however, they have broad powers to investigate your case.
They can visit your house, talk to your friends, and more. Just to clarify, though we've mentioned attorneys hearing about marriage fraud cases, that's not because they'll help you with such an endeavor.
Attorneys have an ethical obligation to not assist in a fraud and are likely to withdraw from your case if they see that they are risking their reputation. Browse All Immigration Topics ». Often, but not always, questioning the couple separately is a sign that the USCIS officer suspects marriage fraud. They often start with relatively simple, predictable questions about where you met and how your relationship began, but officers have significant leeway in the questions they can ask. You might be asked:.
For a more detailed list of the most common interview questions, as well as helpful interview tips, check out our guide to preparing for the marriage green card interview. Boundless stays with you until the finish line, helping you keep on top of interview preparation, follow-on forms, and every other important milestone along the way.
Ready to start? Some spouses seeking a green card do not have a U. Social Security number SSN. This can be the case when, for example, they originally entered the United States on a temporary, non-employment-based visa then married a U.
To prove the authenticity of a marriage in this situation, the couple could provide the following in place of documents that would require an SSN to obtain :. With Boundless, you get an independent immigration attorney who answers your confidential questions and reviews your entire green card application — for no additional fee. Boundless — for people who want the expertise of an immigration lawyer, not the price tag.
Get Green Card Checklist Learn what we do for you. Though it's not your fault, if the immigrant spouse comes from one of these countries, he or she will face extra scrutiny. Giving birth to children is not a requirement of marriage, but having no children can be seen an added negative factor in an otherwise questionable case.
Anyone who has committed past illegal acts might be looked at as more likely or willing to enter into marriage fraud. Clearly, any or many of the above factors might be present in a perfectly real marriage. And couples whose cases present no red flags could nevertheless be given a hard time by U.
The stakes are high. Not only could your case be denied on marriage fraud grounds, but you could face legal penalties. One important thing is to realize that the authorities have a tough decision to make in a short time.
The more you, as an applicant, can do to recognize and allay their likely sources of doubt, the better the odds that your case will be approved. Immigration Nolo. The information provided on this site is not legal advice, does not constitute a lawyer referral service, and no attorney-client or confidential relationship is or will be formed by use of the site.
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When a married couple's basic characteristics or behavior will make U. No shared language If the couple can't talk to each other in any meaningful way, how can they really build a shared life together? Vast difference in age People of different ages certainly get married sometimes. Difference in religion Because religious beliefs are fundamental to many people's approach to life and daily behavior, the U.
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