A common urban myth is that it is easy to gain permanent residency in the United States by marrying a U.S. citizen. Further, popular culture glorifies the idea of couples gaining a green card through fake marriages (commonly referred to as sham marriages). How many movies can you name with that scenario?
However, nothing can be further from the truth. Marrying a U.S. citizen does not guarantee that you will receive permanent residency in the United States. Even if the marriage is not a sham, there are still many barriers to becoming a permanent resident.
Additionally, the immigration agency has ways of figuring out if you are in a genuine relationship or if you are in a sham marriage. In fact, each year there are numerous news stories of individuals who are caught by the immigration agency. For example, the immigration agency recently arrested 13 individuals involved in a sham marriage conspiracy involving individuals from Armenia, Russia and Uzbekistan
Another urban myth is that in a sham marriage, only the foreign national risks penalty. That is not the case, U.S. citizens can (and do) face penalty for their actions. These penalties include fines and jail time.
Don’t let the urban myths fool you – entering into false marriages is illegal and can carry harsh penalties.