A Reddit user made waves this week after revealing that he had been offered $30,000 to marry a woman who was working illegally in the US while holding a student visa. He appeared to be a willing participant in such a scheme — albeit with a few cautious questions. And while Reddit can be a shockingly judgement-free zone at times, most in the comment section were quick to point out the “absurd” nature of this plan.
“I’m an US citizen (male) and recently a 20-year-old woman, who is here on a student visa, offered me $30,000 to marry her so she can get a green card. She said she’ll pay the money over time and that we’d divorce in about two months after the process starts. She’s currently working illegally, which I think is a violation of her visa terms,” the post began.
The comment was posted on the r/Citizenship subreddit and included several questions about the feasibility of such a scheme. While the unnamed man did not appear averse to such an arrangement he also insisted that he was “not looking to scam the system or get myself into legal trouble”.
“I have a few questions: How can I guarantee that she’ll actually pay me the money over time? She doesn’t have it all upfront. What are the legal consequences for me if I go through with this? I’m really concerned about getting in trouble with immigration or facing jail time. How does USCIS investigate these types of marriages? Will they find out that it’s not a genuine marriage? Could I get fined, jailed, or lose any of my rights if this is discovered? 5. Does her current illegal work status make this even riskier for me?” MarionberryJaded1772 asked the internet.
“This is fraud. Federal level. You can’t be this stupid,” responded one user.
“Putting something you think may be illegal on the internet isn’t really a smart idea now is it?” pointed out another.
“Yes this is scamming the system, yes you will get caught, yes you will get into legal trouble, no you are not the first person to try this. Don’t do this, it will backfire for both of you. I recommend she consult an immigration attorney to explore options towards permanent residency,” read one (relatively kinder) comment.