Recently, I opened an online account at my pharmacy, so the doctor could already send the prescription(s) via internet. Within seconds of applying, the online application generated several multiple-choice questions, which served to “verify my identity.” Among the questions were:
• Which of the following streets have you never lived or used as your address?
• Which of the following cities have you previously or currently used as your address?
• In what state was your Social Security number issued?
• Which of the following properties have you previously or currently owned?
Some choices listed addresses I lived at over 30 years ago! Yet, this computer program was able to gather information and generate questions about my addresses and other personal matters in a matter of seconds.
My point is that when a couple gets married, the USCIS expects them to live together. Some people enter into fixed marriages, and never actually live together. But they list the same address on the immigration forms. They think that by doing this, they can “fool” the USCIS.
However, if a little pharmacy, with its limited database, can track down a person’s addresses going back 30 years, you can bet that the USCIS, with a vastly greater database, can find out the same information (and more) about a person’s true addresses, bank accounts, finances, and other information, which they can compare to the information on the immigration forms.
If the couple is not truly living at the same address, the USCIS’s databases could uncover that, and you could be questioned about why the spouses have different addresses. Similarly, if the couple has their own separate property or bank accounts, USCIS could question why there are no joint accounts or joint property ownership.
I have had several people come to me after their marital case has been denied, because the USCIS uncovered discrepancies or contradictions, based on an Internet search.
If you are truly in love, then by all means pursue a green card through marriage. And you may want to seek the advice and assistance of an attorney, who can help you package your case and properly explain any legitimate discrepancies, to satisfy the officer this is a real marriage. If you are not in love with the American, don’t try a fixed marriage, because the consequences could be a lifetime ban.
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Michael J. Gurfinkel is licensed, and an active member of the State Bar of California and New York. All immigration services are provided by, or under the supervision of, an active member of the State Bar of California. Each case is different. The information contained herein including testimonials, “Success Stories,” endorsements and re-enactments) is of a general nature, and is not intended to apply to any particular case, and does not constitute a prediction, warranty, guarantee or legal advice regarding the outcome of your legal matter. No attorney-client relationship is, or shall be, established with any reader.
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