By the Staff of New York Immigration Attorneys
The Law Offices of Spar & Bernstein
http://www.4immigration.com/
We have constantly advised you to tell the truth and nothing but the truth to immigration officials – and that includes the subject of marriage.
When it comes to immigration and gaining U.S. citizenship, marriages should be bona fide, loving unions, NOT a quick way to get a green card.
This very issue landed Mexican soap opera actress Fernanda Romero oddly not before immigration authorities but, unusually, in criminal court.
Closing arguments come today.
Romero is reportedly accused of marrying a pizza deliveryman named Kent Ross merely as an illegal sham, intended only to earn her a U.S. work permit, supposedly paying Ross $5,000 on June 12, 2005 to join hands in matrimony but subsequently never living together as a couple, say prosecutors.
Of course, Romero swears up and down that she loves Ross, but…
1) They didn’t have a family wedding (because, she said, he is Mormon and she is Catholic).
2) They kept separate Hollywood apartments (because he couldn’t break a lease and she traveled a lot, she said).
Not good signs.
The couple could get between 15 and 21 months in prison if convicted, though even the prosecutors say that a shorter sentence is likely in this case.
No matter what happens here, the lesson remains, once again: Don’t lie to immigration officials. Don’t set up a fraud marriage just to get a green card.
You’re only asking for trouble.
The Law Offices of Spar & Bernstein, 225 Broadway, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10007. Phone: 1-212-227-3636, 1-800-law-link, 1-800-529-5465 Email: info@lawsb.com
