fatbrit

"LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Federal authorities say a sophisticated marriage scam in southern California charged foreigners seeking citizenship $60,000 for a mate, and even provided fake wedding photographs, fake tax returns and love letters."
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/30/mar....ap/index.html

Seemed interesting the amount of organization that is now going into it. And there's big money to be made, it would seem...

bionomique

Not for the US citizen, apparently! The organisers get $60,000 and the fool willing to do it $5,000. Risk a fine of $250,000 for $5,000 ~ Not good betting odds

HunterGreen

Even CNN can't get it straight: first they talk about 'foreigners seeking citizenship' and later about 'seeking green cards'.

As long as this country doesn't get their information about immigration together we're in for a long wait for a good solution for 'immigration issues'.

Also because when you mention the word 'immigration' to the average joe, they all start ranting about 'those illegals'.

Immigration should be taught from Kindergarten (more so since that's what this country was based on). *sigh*

Elaine

Folinskyinla

Copyright Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...nes-california

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Folinskyinla

Hi Elaine:

I've sent over the LA Times article upon which the AP one seems to be based. Although I'm as pedantic as the next person [ ], they do note that citizenship is available in three years. And I'm willing to be that the idea is that they will get citizenship in three years and then start bringing over parents, new spouses, you name it.

bionomique

Gulp! Not to worry, Mr. F. It happens to the best of us

Just Jenney

Copyright Los Angeles Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...nes-california

"In the Orange County case, Citizenship and Immigration Services employees discovered the alleged scheme when they began to notice U.S. citizens who were petitioning for more than one spouse to receive green cards. They passed the information to ICE, which launched its own investigation. As part of the probe, agents reviewed immigration files, travel histories and employment records."


For all the people who come on here asking if petitioning a second (or even third) fiancee/spouse will "look suspicious" -- this one's for you!

~ Jenney

[email protected]

Jenney & Mark wrote:
    >
    > For all the people who come on here asking if petitioning a second (or
    > even third) fiancee/spouse will "look suspicious" -- this one's for you!
    >
    > ~ Jenney

Not really. Second marriages are very common.
I doubt the vast marjority of 2nd time visa sponsors are considered as
"suspiciouos".

Just Jenney

My point is that people have asked (and will continue to ask) if the US government can view the sponsoring of a second or third foreign spouse as suspicious and perhaps scrutinize them a bit more for it -- now they have their answer. After all, that's what sparked this investigation in the first place.

~ Jenney

[email protected]

Jenney & Mark wrote:

    > My point is that people have asked (and will continue to ask) if the US
    > government can view the sponsoring of a second or third foreign spouse
    > as suspicious and perhaps scrutinize them a bit more for it -- now they
    > have their answer. After all, that's what sparked this investigation in
    > the first place.
    >

The point is that the information in a news story is not always as
complete as it should be. It took more than just someone with more than
one filing. The local office noticed a pattern of people from specific
areas noted for immigration fraud (Viet Nam, China) sponsoring multiple
people for marriage visas over relatively short periods of time

This is not the same as them being extra suspicious if an individual
sponsors a second spouse visa.

marasmus

So, if one becomes USC through marriage how soon after becoming USC can one divorce without USCIS saying the marriage was suspicious? 2,3,4...20 months?

So is it that the person can never marry from another country or they would their USC status?

Noorah101

Hi Jenney,

I read that as petitioning for more than one spouse *at the same time*. Although it doesn't say that, it's how I took it.

Rene

marasmus

so does it follow that if one becomes USC via marriage they will always be looked at suspiciously if they divorce and file to bring someone from outside the US?

ian-mstm

No.

Ian

bantik2005

thats what i thought too. There was similar situation in TX last year, I read somewhere, but they were Mexicans, and there were two sisters who were organazing all that (like one USC would be marrying to more than one aliens and obviously filing petitions for them).
I read that long time ago, I may be mistaken.