Marrying a United States citizen is one way for a foreigner to quickly become eligible for citizenship. While most foreigners immigrating to the United States have to wait five years to apply for citizenship after getting their green card, foreigners who stay married to a United States citizen can apply for U.S. citizenship in just three years after they get their green card. Unfortunately, a few immigrants try to beat the system by participating in immigration marriage fraud. If you suspect someone of committing immigration marriage fraud, you can report it to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS).
Committing Immigration Marriage Fraud
Many individuals throughout the world understand that it is valuable to have United States citizenship. Unfortunately, some of those individuals try to thwart the process of becoming a U.S. citizenship by engaging in immigration marriage fraud. The USCIS attempts to stop immigration marriage fraud by conducting a thorough interview process and unscheduled home visits. However, some individuals still attempt to pose like they are married so that the immigrant can get their citizenship in a faster period of time.
Reporting The Fraudsters
If you have any type of information associated with people who are attempting to commit immigration marriage fraud, the USCIS would like you to let them know.
In order to make a concrete case, you will need to supply the USCIS with the following information:
– The individual’s name
– The sponsor’s name
– Any known aliases
– Addresses
– Alien immigration number (if possible)
The authorities need this specific information so that they can identify the individuals who are participating in the phony marriage.
Ways To Contact Authorities And Your Anonymity
You can stay completely anonymous when you report individuals who are involved in immigration marriage fraud. The best way to report this type of fraud is to contact the ICE division of the USCIS. They act as the police force that handles problems related to people who are immigrants. You have two options to choose from when contacting them — by phone at 1-(866)-DHS-2-ICE or by visiting their website at ice.gov. This contact information has been specifically designed for the reporting of immigration violations.
In addition, you may also contact the USCIS by phone at 1-(800)-375-5283. A live representative will record your information. You may also schedule a personal meeting with an official from the USCIS if you feel the need to discuss the phony marriage in person.
Existing Penalties
If fraud has been found, it will immediately nullify U.S. citizenship benefits and could result in deportation as well. Also, if the U.S. citizen is found guilty of this felony, they face penalties equal to a $250,000 fine or up to five years in a federal prison.
Jim Treebold is a North Carolina based writer. He lives by the mantra of “Learn 1 new thing each day”! Jim loves to write, read, pedal around on his electric bike and dream of big things. Drop him a line if you like his writing, he loves hearing from his readers!