美國嚴打假結婚移民詐欺

11人遭聯邦起訴　逾千宗假婚姻涉嫌助外籍人士取得綠卡

美國聯邦政府近期大力整頓移民詐欺，一宗涉及超過一千宗「假結婚」的大型案件震動移民社區。美國司法部8月12日宣布起訴11人，指控他們在長達十多年的時間內，建立一套有組織的婚姻移民詐欺網絡，安排外國人士與美國公民假結婚，以欺騙移民機關取得合法永久居民身分，也就是俗稱的「綠卡」。涉案外籍人士主要來自中國。(Department of Justice⁠)

根據聯邦起訴書及司法部公布的資料，部分外籍客戶為安排一宗假婚姻支付高達10萬美元；參與假結婚的美國公民則可能獲得最高約3萬美元報酬。當局稱，整個網絡多年來涉及的金額達數千萬美元。(AP News⁠)

假婚禮、假照片　把婚姻「演」給移民官看

這些案件並非只是在結婚證書上簽名而已。

檢方指控，相關人員會替雙方安排婚禮、拍攝夫妻合照，甚至安排在餐廳與「家人」聚會拍照，以營造正常夫妻生活的假象。之後再協助準備文件、填寫綠卡申請資料，讓美國公民及移民服務局（USCIS）相信婚姻是真實的。(AP News⁠)

這種經過精心設計的假婚姻，使原本用來保障真正夫妻團聚的移民制度，成為不法人士牟利的工具。

結婚不等於立即成為美國公民

許多人對美國婚姻移民制度存在誤解。

與美國公民結婚，並不代表外籍人士立即成為美國公民。一般情況下，符合條件的外籍配偶首先申請永久居民身分，取得綠卡後，還必須符合相關居住、婚姻及其他法定資格，才可能進一步申請歸化入籍。

問題在於，如果最初取得綠卡的基礎就是一場假婚姻，日後即使已經取得美國公民身分，也不代表過去的欺詐行為一定就此消失。

USCIS政策明確指出，如果歸化公民身分是透過隱瞞重大事實或故意虛假陳述而取得，政府在符合法律條件下可以尋求撤銷其歸化公民身分。(USCIS⁠)

司法部近年也已實際提出多宗撤銷公民身分案件，其中包括政府指控當事人原先透過假婚姻及移民詐欺取得身分、其永久居民資格本身可能並不合法的案例。(Department of Justice⁠)

一場「假婚姻」可能付出一生代價

對一些人而言，支付大筆金錢安排假結婚，或許看似是一條取得美國身分的捷徑；然而一旦遭到調查，後果可能非常嚴重。

除了涉嫌安排假婚姻的仲介者可能面臨刑事起訴之外，提供虛假資料、偽造夫妻生活證據或利用婚姻規避移民法的人，也可能面臨移民身分重新審查等後果。此次11名被告被控共謀進行婚姻及移民詐欺，相關指控最高可能帶來數年監禁。(Axios⁠)

這宗案件傳達出一個十分清楚的訊息：

真正的婚姻受到美國法律保障，但以金錢購買婚姻、偽造夫妻關係來換取綠卡甚至公民身分，不是一條安全的捷徑，而可能是一顆多年以後仍會爆炸的定時炸彈。

即使一個人已經在美國居住多年，甚至已經完成歸化，如果政府日後發現最初取得移民利益涉及重大欺詐，仍可能依法進行調查及採取法律行動。

目前這11名被告面臨的內容均屬聯邦檢方指控，在法院作出有罪判決之前，依法仍享有無罪推定。

假婚姻或許可以製造一張結婚證書，卻不能保證一個以欺騙取得的身分永遠安全。

U.S. Busts Major Sham-Marriage Immigration Fraud Scheme

【Southern News Group — Comprehensive Report】 The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced charges in a major marriage and immigration fraud case involving 11 defendants. Federal prosecutors allege that the criminal network operated for more than a decade and arranged over 1,000 sham marriages to help foreign nationals obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States. Most of the foreign clients were reportedly Chinese nationals. The Justice Department described the case as one of the largest ma

11 Defendants Federally Charged; More Than 1,000 Marriages Allegedly Used to Obtain Green Cards

rriage-fraud schemes in U.S. history.

According to the federal indictment, brokers and other participants recruited U.S. citizens willing to enter into fraudulent marriages and matched them with foreign nationals seeking legal residency in the United States. Some foreign clients allegedly paid as much as $100,000 for a sham marriage, while participating U.S. citizens could receive up to approximately $30,000.

Fake Weddings, Photos and Documents Created the Appearance of Real Marriages

Federal prosecutors said the marriages went far beyond simply signing a marriage certificate.

To convince immigration officials that the relationships were genuine, participants allegedly arranged wedding ceremonies, took wedding and family photographs, and prepared immigration applications and supporting documents.

Prosecutors further allege that the network used lawyers, tax preparers, wedding officiants and other participants to create evidence suggesting that the couples were actually living together before submitting permanent residency applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Some weddings reportedly included friends and relatives, traditional wedding clothing and restaurant gatherings designed specifically to produce photographs that would make the couples appear to be genuine spouses.

Federal investigators say these activities demonstrate that the alleged operation was highly organized rather than a series of isolated sham-marriage cases.

A Sham Marriage for a Green Card Can Carry Serious Consequences

In the United States, marrying a U.S. citizen does not automatically make a foreign spouse an American citizen.

Generally, an eligible foreign spouse first applies for lawful permanent resident status — commonly known as a Green Card. Only later, after meeting residency and other legal requirements, may that person become eligible to apply for naturalization and U.S. citizenship.

However, if a marriage was entered into from the beginning solely to evade U.S. immigration laws, and the couple had no genuine intention of establishing a marital life together, providing false information to immigration authorities may constitute marriage and immigration fraud.

The 11 defendants in this case face federal criminal charges, including conspiracy involving marriage and immigration fraud. Some of the charges could carry prison sentences of up to five years.

Individuals who obtained Green Cards or subsequent immigration benefits through fraudulent information may also face serious immigration consequences, including renewed review or possible loss of their immigration status.

Therefore, the idea of “getting a Green Card through a fake marriage and then waiting to become a U.S. citizen” is far from a risk-free shortcut. If the original immigration application is later determined to have involved fraud, subsequent immigration benefits may also be affected.

U.S. Intensifies Crackdown on Immigration Fraud

The Justice Department said the case reflects federal efforts to combat the misuse of marriage as a means of deceiving immigration authorities.

Large-scale sham-marriage operations not only undermine the integrity of the legal immigration system, but also make it more difficult for immigration officials to determine which applicants genuinely qualify for lawful residency.

The case serves as another warning to those seeking U.S. immigration benefits through marriage:

Genuine marriages are protected under U.S. law, but paying for a fraudulent marriage, fabricating evidence of a shared life, or making false statements to immigration authorities can result in serious criminal and immigration consequences.

The case remains pending. All allegations described above are accusations made by federal prosecutors, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.