In United States immigration law, marriage not made in good faith and for purposes of immigration fraud is a felony, subject to a penalty of a US$250,000 fine and five-year prison sentence on the citizen, and deportation of the foreigner.

An individual will be charged with marriage fraud if they entered into a marriage for the purpose of evading U.S. immigration law. This felony offense carries a prison sentence of up to five years and a fine of up to $250,000, and applies to both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens who perpetrate this crime.

That said, the practice of obtaining residency through marriage is illegal in the United States if the marriage itself is fraudulent. A marriage that is solely for purposes of obtaining legal residence is considered a sham, and is a crime in the United States for both participants.

Does getting married Stop Deportation? Getting married does not stop deportation. You must prove your marriage to USCIS and then adjust your status with the Immigration Judge. In the past, the Immigration judges would terminate proceedings after the immigrant petition was approved, but they are no longer doing that.

An immigrant who marries a U.S. citizen must apply for a green card (U.S. permanent residence). This is a long process involving many forms and documents. After successfully obtaining a green card, the immigrant spouse can, after three years as a permanent resident, apply for U.S. citizenship.

Marrying a foreigner for money is illegal, and those participating in immigration fraud can face up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, according to the U.S. Code § 1325: Improper Entry by Alien.

Getting Married on a Tourist Visa Yes, you can get married in the U.S. while on a B-1/B-2 tourist visa or a visa waiver program. However, coming to the U.S. as a visitor with the sole purpose of getting married and then filing for adjustment of status is considered fraud.

Marrying a foreigner for money can be quite lucrative. Many of the people we interviewed have made nothing less than $10,000 to marry a stranger.

Depending on your case, if you have applied as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, you may need to wait for 10-12 months. As a lawful permanent resident spouse, however, the waiting time could be upwards of 30 months. The processing time also depends on the service center processing your petition.