MOST FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS***

 

Question: I am a US citizen and was asked by a “very good” friend of mine who is in the US on an expired visa to help her get a “green card” by marrying her.  She already has a boyfriend overseas and will file for a divorce as soon as she gets her “green card”.  What will be the potential criminal violations if I get caught?

Answer:  Up to 5 years in prison + $250,000 fine for marriage fraud. INS §275; 8 U.S.C. §1325(b).  There are also other penalties under other code sections such as visa fraud, false statement and conspiracy.

 

Question: A foreign government asked me to obtain a “certificate” showing that I am single before it would allow me to marry its citizen.  Can you issue one for me?

Answer: Not without qualification.  The “certificate” would have to state that it is only for a specific county or counties.  As California recognizes valid marriage in other state and country, anyone who issues such certificate, would have to check each and every county in California and  each and every governmental unit in charge of maintaining marriage record in other states of the United States and every country in the world.  Although I have heard that some paralegals in the Chinese community issue such certificate without any qualification, I do not believe that it is accurate because such checks are not practically possible and I seriously doubt that the people who issued such “certificate”, had actually performed all these checks.  How would those people knew that the certificate holder had not flown to Las Vegas or a small island country and got married?

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Sorry, we are updating this section.  Please check back in a few months)