One of the most common types of immigration fraud in the United States involves marriage. Under U.S. immigration law, spouses of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents get additional benefits and move more quickly through the often lengthy immigration process. Because of this , some immigrants enter into marriages with US Citizens simply for the purposes of obtaining a green card, or lawful permanent resident status. The government calls this “marriage fraud.” Due to the high numbers of this type of fraud, U.S. immigration authorities have been given a great deal of power to investigate alleged marriage fraud, which, if proven, can result in the denial of your case, the initiation of deportation proceedings, and sometimes even criminal penalties. If you are accused of marriage-related immigration fraud, you must take steps to prove to USCIS that your marriage is bona fide, or entered into in good faith. For instance, documentary evidence such as lease or rental agreements containing both spouses’ names, bills or bank statements showing the existence of joint accounts, or pieces of mail addressed to each spouse at the same address all can help prove to USCIS that you and your spouse continue to live together as a married couple. Other types of evidence are helpful to your case, as well, such as the statements of your neighbors, employers, family members, and friends who have observed the relationship between you and your spouse. Finally, you and your spouse also may need to answer specific questions from the USCIS that are related to the accusations of marriage fraud. Contacting an experienced California immigration attorney as quickly as possible can be essential to combatting false accusations of marriage fraud. Taking steps to fix an immigration problem from the outset is often much simpler than waiting until the last minute and attempting to remedy the situation. Call Landerholm Immigration, A.P.C., at (510) 491-0291, today, and learn what we can do to help you through this situation.
