Stu

Say an individual (US Citizen by birth) intends to marry in a foreign country and do
the Spousal instead of the Fiancé's Visa to bring the wife to the US, and just
"Suppose" that in the interest of brevity, to reduce translation costs, and to hide
a track-record of failed marriages he presents an incomplete record of previous
marriages and their legal dissolutions to the registering agency in the foreign
country, providing only the proof of the most recent one. My contention is that if
the most recent marriage was both legally performed (and dissolved), then any
marriages prior to it must have been proven to have been properly dissolved to the
satisfaction of local US authorities. So assuming that the authorities in the
foreign country are misled by the omission of the 'complete' matrimonial history,
and the marriage performed there, what happens to the status of the immigrant spouse
now living in the US, if at some future time the subterfuge of the sponsoring
citizen is discovered and the "Official - status" of the marriage abroad is called
into question?

This is a bonefide question (though hypothetical), because the bureaucracy in
this particular foreign country is notorious for searching "All" types of
applications (Automobile Registrations, Visa-Extensions, Birth Registrations -
et.al.) with fine-toothed combs to find reasons to create various "Problems" for
'any and all' (but particularly "Foreign") applicants, until sufficient bribes
are paid. So I will be privately questioned by an official regarding the 'doubts'
and 'questions' he has regarding my most recent divorce; he (or she) will suggest
that it may be necessary for me to provide additional paperwork from the US. I
will then proffer a folded piece of blank paper containing a US $100. bill and
ask: "Oh, I am so sorry to have forgotten, is this the paperwork you
need?.......... and, of course it is!

So that takes care of me satisfying that my most recent divorce was properly
terminated, but if there are multiple divorces, I will be sent to other
"Individual" officials who for bribes will deem each divorce as legitimate,
one-at-a-time, until finally I will be issued the permission to marry one of
their citizens within their country. Because they will demand to see my passport,
hotel (or domicile) registration, my visa, and my return ticket to the US, they
will know my time constraints (which will be only 2 weeks - very severe), and
apply pressure accordingly.

And it isn't that I feel any resentment towards these individuals, the country as
a whole, or anything like that - they themselves must pay-off and bribe as part
of their daily lives - they even have to pay and bribe to get these "Official
Positions" that pay so abysmally low that it's untenable. Still, why should I pay
$500. USD for 5 prior marriages, when (in my mind, anyway) $100. should suffice?

Please don't waste your time in replying in critically moralistic, scolding,
and/or chastisement venues .......... I am a pragmatist first, a moralist second.

F&W

I would say that "hypothetically" speaking, of course, you could get in WAY more
trouble than it's worth. Though this country apparently thrives on bribes, could
there be the chance you would get the one nasty official that disliked Americans and
decided to throw you in jail? Prison in a foreign country is a far worse fate than
declaring failed marriages, going through a long and possibly difficult procedure,
getting a fiancé visa, and getting your loved one here legally. I don't know.....I
myself would be VERY aware of the hypothetical consequences before a hypothetical
decision is made. Faye

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Stu

How very stupid of me!!!!!!!!! I forgot to mention that in the course of my job (on a
passenger ship that leaves and re-enters American waters), I've had occassion to meet
and personally know many of the U.S. INS Agents that interview the arriving
passengers - and listen to this truth - and I swear it is the truth based on my
personal experience - 'many' of these INS Agents are sadistic in the "Enjoyment and
personal gratification" they get from the power they wield over peoples lives.

Remember the risqué pun in the form of a question : "Is that a banana in your
pocket, or are you just glad to see me?" Well, in the case of some of the INS
agents I know, it could be slightly tweaked to ask : "Is that a banana in your
pocket, or did you just totally ****-up the head of some legally documented,
aspiring immigrant by making them fearfully and shakily kowtow to you because of
your threatening, mean, cruel, inhumane demeanor?"

Would anyone here question my assertion that the INS operates "Above the Law",
with "Total impunity"? Sure there are those rare instances when a particularly
sophisticated, astute (or politically-connected) applicant can circumvent the
calculated capriciousness of arbitrary demands and whimsical practices of a
deviant INS Official, but what about those applicants that are the majority, that
are caused to suffer needlessly by this victimization?

Andrew Defaria

stu wrote:

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No,tell us what you really think Stu? Got any other good conspiracy theories?

Michael Voight

stu wrote:
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What does any of this have to do with the desire to lie to 2 governments and a future
spouse??? The power of INS has nothing to do willfully violating laws.