US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) may revoke a citizenship or green card decision if it is determined that legal status was obtained through a fraudulent marriage. As immigration lawyer Mary Lynn Tedesco told RTVI, such a procedure can be initiated within five years after the documents are issued. In addition, a foreigner who participated in the fraudulent scheme faces a lifetime ban from entering the United States.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 11 people who, according to investigators, ran a nationwide sham marriage ring from at least 2016 to July 2026. The organizers brought together Americans with foreigners – mostly Chinese citizens – for marriages, the purpose of which was to illegally obtain immigration status for the latter.
The Justice Department called the uncovered network one of the largest marriage fraud cases in US history.
“USCIS actively pursues participants in sham marriage schemes, as well as the criminal organizations and their leaders who profit from them. The Service will continue to detect fraud, defend the rule of law, and ensure that only those who are truly eligible receive immigration status,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald for the Southern District of New York.
According to investigators, foreigners paid the organizers up to $100,000 for a fictitious marriage and assistance in obtaining the status of a permanent resident or US citizen. The organizers, in turn, allegedly paid up to $30,000 to US citizens participating in the scheme.
To convince immigration authorities that the marriage was genuine, participants were given staged wedding ceremonies and photo shoots. After registering, they took new photos, opened joint bank accounts, took out utility bills and insurance policies for two, and filed joint tax returns.
Each of the 11 defendants is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit marriage and immigration fraud. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison.
As Mary Lynn Tedesco noted in a conversation with RTVI, this case shows that the demand for illegal ways to obtain immigration status continues, and the system itself, like any government mechanism, remains vulnerable to abuse.
“Given the enormous possibilities it [Америка] provides residents of perhaps less privileged countries, it becomes a bait, and people will try to do it in every possible way,” she said on US: Circumstances.
According to the lawyer, the large-scale case could lead to increased scrutiny of marriages between US citizens and foreigners. Already now, if doubts arise, spouses are interviewed separately, comparing their answers and other circumstances of family life.
“As an immigration lawyer who accompanies people to interviews, including when obtaining a green card, I see cases where spouses are separated in order to clarify the fact that the marriage was truly entered into for love and not for convenience,” Tedesco added.
She also explained that in most cases a person can be deprived of citizenship if it was obtained illegally. Evidence is required to revoke citizenship or a green card. According to Tedesco, one reason could be to identify a series of similar cases involving, for example, the same mediator or lawyer.
“You can charge a fictitious marriage, and the individual in this case will have to prove that there was no fraud in the marriage. Such cases will be considered case by case, and, naturally, immigration status can be revoked,” she said.
Ohio State University immigration law professor Cesar Hernandez explained to RTVI that a sham marriage can have civil consequences, including loss of immigration status and a ban on entry into the country, as well as criminal liability, including imprisonment. According to him, US citizens are more likely than foreigners to be involved in criminal activity associated with such schemes.
