The United States allows for a non-citizen to become a citizen through marriage. So, if you live out of the country and you meet someone that you love in the US, these provisions of the immigration laws allow you to move to the US and live with the person you love. Unfortunately, sometimes people abuse this system and get married for the sole purpose of getting a green card. These green card marriage cases are situations in which the people involved don't intend a real marriage- they may not even know each other very well at all, and the arrangement may be backed by a financial payment or some other incentive to create a sham marriage. As a result of this attempted fraud, the USCIS conducts interviews to determine the parties true intentions in cases where a citizen and non-citizen get married and where the non-citizen tries to get a green card. So, how does the USCIS determine the true intention of the two parties involved?
How USCIS Determines The True Intent in a Green Card Marriage
The USCIS determines the true intent in a green card marriage case by:
- Interviewing the parties involved. The interview may include questions about your spouses habits or behaviors. It may include questions about where and how you met or about other personal details. You may be interviewed separately from your spouse as well as together with your spouse. The intention of the interviews is to see if you really know each other as a married couple would and to see how you interact
- Looking at evidence that indicates whether a marriage is legitimate or not. For example, a shared residency, joint accounts, pregnancy and/or the birth of a child, and other such related information can all make a marriage appear more legitimate to the USCIS.
Getting Help
If you are seeking citizenship to the US through marriage to a US citizen, then you should consult with an experienced US immigration attorney. Your attorney can help you to understand what you will need to do in order to prove your marriage is valid. He can assist you in every step to becoming a US citizen so that you and your spouse can begin enjoying your life in America.
