marriage scam

[Minya's wife 24]

Probably much more commonplace than we'd like to believe...

what do you mean by that ??

I would venture to say that to some extent 'immigration' marriages happen quite frequently. how many people are nearing the end of their visas, have a boyfriend/girlfriend and marry/file AOS so that they can continue to stay in the US? The marriage is prompted directly by the expiration of said visa, and not necessarily by the course of the relationship. The couple may eventually get married/or not, but within the context of the immigrant's visa expiration they go ahead an marry just to gain residency.

IMO the line between paying a USC to marry an immigrant in order for that immigrant to gain residency and marrying your already existing USC boyfriend to gain residency is not so clear cut as we would like to believe.

[iLoveAPolishGirl 0]

Is Varee Bradford a U.S. citizen? Can her citizenship be revoked?

The article does not say, But... *IF* she is, NO, she cannot be stripped of her citizenship status or deported for this.

dvc

[iLoveAPolishGirl 0]

IMO the line between paying a USC to marry an immigrant in order for that immigrant to gain residency and marrying your already existing USC boyfriend to gain residency is not so clear cut as we would like to believe.

While one may happen to truly fall in love and have had a preceding desire for US citizenship, the line between fraud vs. legitimate marriage seems very clear to me. One starts with intent of permanency and the other has no such intent.

Proving INTENT is usually the not so clear part. This case seems quite clear to me. If the allegation is true, it's fraud.

dvc

Edited June 24, 2009 by iLoveAPolishGirl

[jamall 1]

One thing for sure she will make it tuff for any one from Thailand

[display name 0]

One thing for sure she will make it tuff for any one from Thailand

right,

[Bobby+Umit 161]

Is Varee Bradford a U.S. citizen? Can her citizenship be revoked?

The article does not say, But... *IF* she is, NO, she cannot be stripped of her citizenship status or deported for this.

dvc

For this, probably not.

However, she is now under the spotlight/microscope. If they find something wrong with her initial application (visa/USC) that would invalidate her USC, buh-bye!

It's things like this that make our "real" applications/petitions take so much longer....

[jamall 1]

Sorry this is an act of one person happen to be from Thailand

[jamall 1]

It's things like this that make our "real" applications/petitions take so much longer....

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Edited June 24, 2009 by jamall

[Bocajr27 3]

I say give it to them! This is why immigration is so freaking hard because of nuts like this!

%100 right

People like her are the reason why real marriages are scrutinized to the point of absurdity.

[rmncm 0]

She's hot and being Thai bet she can shag really well!

[Minya's wife 24]

IMO the line between paying a USC to marry an immigrant in order for that immigrant to gain residency and marrying your already existing USC boyfriend to gain residency is not so clear cut as we would like to believe.

While one may happen to truly fall in love and have had a preceding desire for US citizenship, the line between fraud vs. legitimate marriage seems very clear to me. One starts with intent of permanency and the other has no such intent.

Proving INTENT is usually the not so clear part. This case seems quite clear to me. If the allegation is true, it's fraud.

dvc

Ah, but AOS is not so much concerned w/ your intent when you married, (if you have the marriage license then you're married, not so much emphasis is placed on why you got married) its concerned w/ the validity of your marriage.

You're right, by this piece, it seems a clear cut case of someone paying outright for US citizens to marry foreigners in order for the foreigners to AOS and stay in the US. That is fraud, yes, but relax those rigid 'clear-cut' lines a little and you'll realize that there are other situations which could be interpreted as such just as easily.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Let's not forget that Varee Bradford is not the only criminal here. In each of these cases, there was an American citizen who accepted money in return for fraudulently filing papers to bring a Thai national to the US as part of a sham marriage. They may have some level of defense because Ms. Bradford was their employer, so they can claim she put pressure on them, but they still accepted the money.

I've lived in California for nearly 30 years, and in that time I've been approached 3 times and offered in excess of $10K to marry a foreigner (Mexican girls on two occasions, and a Salvadoran girl on another). At the time these offers were made, my annual earnings were between 2 and 3 times that amount. My income was adequate to cover my expenses, and well above the poverty line, but I can tell you that $10K is a LOT of money when your annual income is that low. I said "no", but I can guarantee there are a lot of US citizens who would say "yes".

[jundp 191]

IMO the line between paying a USC to marry an immigrant in order for that immigrant to gain residency and marrying your already existing USC boyfriend to gain residency is not so clear cut as we would like to believe.

True. How many people here on VJ alone decided to get married simply so their SO could come to the US? I'm not saying those marriages are fraudulent, nor am I making a comparison between those marriages and what this woman did, but in the end, it amounts to something similar. Many people on here have stated they wouldn't have gotten married if not forced to do so because of immigration.

It's an interesting thought, though. Those relationships are valid and of course the people love each other, but in a way, they married for a green card too.

NOT the same thing, I do know that. But interesting nonetheless.

[jamall 1]

Let's not forget that Varee Bradford is not the only criminal here. In each of these cases, there was an American citizen who accepted money in return for fraudulently filing papers to bring a Thai national to the US as part of a sham marriage. They may have some level of defense because Ms. Bradford was their employer, so they can claim she put pressure on them, but they still accepted the money.

I've lived in California for nearly 30 years, and in that time I've been approached 3 times and offered in excess of $10K to marry a foreigner (Mexican girls on two occasions, and a Salvadoran girl on another). At the time these offers were made, my annual earnings were between 2 and 3 times that amount. My income was adequate to cover my expenses, and well above the poverty line, but I can tell you that $10K is a LOT of money when your annual income is that low. I said "no", but I can guarantee there are a lot of US citizens who would say "yes".

Yes I agree with you spicily with this economy some people need cash??

But for her she’s making big business from this and she’s wealthy .

[Minya's wife 24]

Let's not forget that Varee Bradford is not the only criminal here. In each of these cases, there was an American citizen who accepted money in return for fraudulently filing papers to bring a Thai national to the US as part of a sham marriage. They may have some level of defense because Ms. Bradford was their employer, so they can claim she put pressure on them, but they still accepted the money.

I've lived in California for nearly 30 years, and in that time I've been approached 3 times and offered in excess of $10K to marry a foreigner (Mexican girls on two occasions, and a Salvadoran girl on another). At the time these offers were made, my annual earnings were between 2 and 3 times that amount. My income was adequate to cover my expenses, and well above the poverty line, but I can tell you that $10K is a LOT of money when your annual income is that low. I said "no", but I can guarantee there are a lot of US citizens who would say "yes".

totally, but you don't see the cheering squad making any mention of the culpability of the US citizens who agreed to commit this fraud....only that the accused be stripped of her citizenship for this. double standard a bit....

IMO the line between paying a USC to marry an immigrant in order for that immigrant to gain residency and marrying your already existing USC boyfriend to gain residency is not so clear cut as we would like to believe.

True. How many people here on VJ alone decided to get married simply so their SO could come to the US? I'm not saying those marriages are fraudulent, nor am I making a comparison between those marriages and what this woman did, but in the end, it amounts to something similar. Many people on here have stated they wouldn't have gotten married if not forced to do so because of immigration.

It's an interesting thought, though. Those relationships are valid and of course the people love each other, but in a way, they married for a green card too.

NOT the same thing, I do know that. But interesting nonetheless.

Obviously if proven that $$ was paid/accepted in order to contract such a marriage, it makes this case quite clearly fraud, and my argument is not so much about that...we all know that is fraud. I'm simply arguing that marriage and immigration benefits are not two separate things that do not ever 'bleed' into one another.