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Arranged marriages are becoming more common at the United States based on many naturalized
US citizens been originally from countries that recognize arranged marriages such as
India, Pakistan . . . even China has arranged marriages. But arranged marriages have difficulty
including proving the bona fides of their relationship, which is not the same thing
as showing that the marriage itself is entered legally. Typically in arranged marriages,
the fact that neither spouse have had a long relationship before with each other or can
show history of knowing each other well or a lot of correspondence going back and forth.
Sometimes spouses can talk for two weeks before getting married, sometimes five days, sometimes
marriage is to a complete stranger. Arrange marriages are usually arranged by family members
and not for necessarily reasons of love but for a reasons of a good match for future children,
for economic stability, for class reasons or other reasons that have nothing to do with
romantic side of love. US immigration still recognizes the validity of these marriages
but is most concerned as it is with all marriage cases with the relationships formed for the
purpose of obtaining the green card or for another reason. You can get engaged or married
with the green card in a side benefit, but it cannot be the main reason why you're getting
married. Arranged marriages can be more difficult to receive an approval from the immigration
because often marriages are entered into from a legal perspective first, in order to start
the immigration process more quickly. But then the couple does not live together until
the religious wedding or ceremony that can last sometimes three to five days takes place
- sometimes many months later, after the green card application itself is filed based on
the legal marriage. So when a couple does not live together because of the lack of their
religious ceremony taking place yet, they are not living together very long prior to
the green card interview add after the marriage and immigration starts to suspect that maybe
this is not a marriage that is bona fide based on a real relationship or one that's done
for non- immigration purposes. There is also an inherent control element that often takes
place in arranged marriages from an immigration perspective. The control of the immigrant
visa based on marriage is always with the petitioning US citizen spouse or permanent
resident spouse. If she withdraws her sponsorship, the immigrant spouse can do nothing about
it. It would have to try to find a way to a green card to another route. Often in arranged
marriages, the immigrant is unaware of the control the would be in-laws have over the
petitioning spouse who is usually a younger person. In some cultures the interference
by the in-laws can result in a short marriage, quick divorce, and immense shame to the immigrant
spouse who may have difficulty remarrying ever again if they go back to their home country
because of this cultural shame and stigma that divorce creates. Many arrange marriages
are also conditional in nature from an immigration perspective because most immigrants are not
engaged very long in an arranged marriage, and so the marriage itself happens within
a matter of months, and the green card is only issued for a two-year period. This is
because if the marriage was less than two years old by the time the couple interviewed
for the immigrant's green card at the local CIS office, then the conditional green card
will be granted a two-year card as opposed to a ten year card. This can also add complications
to the relationship especially if one spouse wanted a job outside the state to pursue a
career in IT field or other computer programming or other dream job, but the in-laws are refusing
to allow the US citizen petitioning spouse to move with the immigrant because in-laws
do not want the immigrant and the spouse to move out of the in-laws' home. Keeping joint
accounts open and active and putting each other on title each other's property and seeing
each other frequently can become very difficult in these types of cases when in-laws do not
approve of the job placement or move out of the in-laws' home and in many cultures, it
is very standard for an immigrant to live with their spouse's family. But assuming that
an immigrant benefits from an arranged marriage that actually turns out well and the couples
are happy and in-laws are allowing the couple to live together, then commingle their assets.
The immigrant and the spouse should focus on proving that they're residing together,
have joint financial accounts, which they are actually using and putting their salaries
into the shared account or paying bills from those accounts and any pictures of activities
and shared family outings can also bolster a showing of good faith marriage or bona fide
marriage. And an arranged marriage even if there isn't a track history of the relationship
can be approved in the immigration interview for a green card. In practice, arranged marriages
usually have to provide more joint documentation than a typical marriage that is based on years
of dating, because there's more of that documented history. The credibility relationship may
be questioned despite the widespread cultural tradition of arranged marriages.
I am an expert in complex family base immigration cases and have a 98% approval rate for the
past 12 years. I'm a nationally published immigration author and frequent public speaker
on immigration topics. I regularly train other immigration lawyers on complicated marriage
and family immigration cases for the American Immigration Lawyers Association, Federal Bar
Association and National Legal Education providers. I represent clients all over the US traveling
to immigration interviews and deportation proceedings. Visit our website: www.humanrightsattorney.com.
For more in-depth information and articles on complex family immigration issues.