Marriage Fraud/Sham Marriage

A sham marriage is one that is entered into for the purposes of evading U.S. immigration laws or requirements. Marriage fraud or entering into a sham marriage is a federal crime subject to up to several years of imprisonment, significant fines and loss of immigration benefits. A person alleged by U.S. immigration authorities to have entered into a sham or fraudulent marriage would also bar the foreign national from having any future petition approved on his behalf even if a bona fide or genuine relationship exists.