Question on Marriage to Obtain a Visa (and side-note regarding rules vs. relationship)

I received a unique question regarding getting married to obtain a visa. I know how I’m going to approach this from a biblical perspective, but if it is also illegal, I want to include that in my answer. Does anyone know anything about the law regarding this? I would think it would be illegal to get married for the sole purpose of obtaining a visa, but then again, I could be wrong.

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Ed Chait and Steve Byrd like this.
Christopher Dupre It is visa fraud, and the foreigner can be sent home with a multi year ban from re entering the US. I believe it is also a prosecutorial offense for the US citizen. Immigration officials can sniff out the questionable motives just by looking at entry dates. Once they start digging it is hard to prove otherwise.
http://www.visapro.com/Immigration-Articles/?a=1252&z=36

October 6 at 8:03am · Like · 2
Sarah Van Baale Thank You! That’s what I was looking for.

October 6 at 8:10am · Like · 1
Steve Ray Webb Sarah, you need to get to know him first. Make sure to find out if he is rich, if he is already married, and if his astrological sign matches yours. No extra charge for this advice.

October 6 at 9:23am · Edited · Like · 3
Sarah Van Baale I am always surprised by the number of questions I get from people who say/imply they are Christians yet seemingly believe the Bible is just a set of rules to follow. Many of them want me to clarify ‘technicalities’ to see if they are still following the rules. Sadly the whole “personal relationship with Christ” thing is a foreign concept to them – yet it is the cornerstone of our faith! I think I’m in the hundreds regarding questions about sex outside of marriage, or what really is marriage, and now marriage in order to obtain a visa. I think I need to write one template answer and keep tweaking it for all these people who view marriage as only a contract – similar to how they view their faith – as a contract without relationship. It is as if we just sign our name to the end of Revelation in our Bible and we’re set for life…or rather afterlife. I know I’m not answering questions from the same person over and over again, but this type of thinking is so prevalent I sometimes feel like banging my head against the wall and writing, “It is all about relationship, not a checklist, and if you think what you’re asking me might be against the “rules” than it probably is.” Don’t worry, I don’t write that in my answers (though admittedly, I do talk to my children that way. Lucky for them I have a captive audience and I can talk a whole lot more than I can write! )

October 6 at 10:24am · Unlike · 3
Christopher Dupre I knew it was unlawful when, as an 18 y/o college freshman, an Iranian exchange student asked me to marry her so she could stay in the U.S. I knew it was not love when she let me know that we could get a divorce in five years, then I would be free to marry whomever I wanted. FIVE years! What a deal! Why was she so sure I was that much of a loser? LOL!!

October 6 at 10:37am · Like · 3
MeLissa LeFleur Houdmann Christopher Dupre, How funny. I’m guessing Gale is glad you said no. That happened to a friend of ours too! It came with a nice financial package which caused her to consider it. She eventually said no, thankfully!

October 6 at 11:03am · Like · 2
Christopher Dupre Well, fortunately, our relationship didn’t reach the ‘what’s in it for me’ stage by the time she hung up. haha!

October 6 at 11:25am · Like · 2
Gwen Sellers Sarah Van Baale I know what you mean about people missing the point of Christianity. It’s heartbreaking … and a little frustrating to hear it over and over. It makes me want to bang my head against the wall, too. I think it’s totally appropriate to remind questioners that it’s about relationship, not a checklist. Obedience only makes a difference if we’re in relationship; and we’re really only capable of it through relationship, too.

October 6 at 11:29am · Like · 2
Jed Kramer The pastor of my church made a great point recently regarding a ‘following the rules’ form of Christianity. He said that doing so provides no mission. An absence of mission leads to complacency. Complacency disengages upcoming generations and wins no new souls. The point of the message was that the primary purpose of the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer is to win souls. Our eternal purpose is to know God and worship God. Our temporal purpose involves the eternal, but is coupled to winning others to Christ. True Christians enlist with Jesus and are ‘on mission’ with him from day one.

October 6 at 10:23pm · Unlike · 2
Gwen Sellers I have an Army friend that would love that analogy. Thanks for sharing, Jed!

October 7 at 11:02am · Like
Sarah Van Baale Gwen – I thought the same thing about my husband who is also in the Army. In fact, I was going to read to him what Jed wrote when he got home. I think that last sentence would resonate well with many military families. Well said, Jed.