What is marriage fraud, and what does the Bible say about it?

Answer  
  

Marriage fraud is a crime involving two people entering a fake union for the sole purpose of evading United States immigration laws and obtaining an immigration visa, green card, and eventual permanent legal residency. Marriage fraud results in what is sometimes called a sham marriage. In many cases, marriage fraud involves both parties knowingly agreeing to participate in an illegal scheme, but not always.  
  

Typical sham marriages involve a U.S. citizen asking or allowing a foreign national to marry them in exchange for permanent resident status. Often, the U.S. citizen receives payment to marry a foreign national to enable them to gain lawful permanent immigration status. “Mail\-order” marriages are another form of marriage fraud. In these cases, either one or both parties know the intent is to defraud the U.S. government, and the marriage is not a legitimate, long\-term union. Sometimes, a foreign national will seduce or mislead a U.S. citizen into believing the marriage is legitimate but has no intention of staying in the relationship once permanent resident status is achieved.  
  

Marriage fraud is a serious federal crime in the United States and is subject to severe penalties, including deportation, sentencing of up to five years in federal prison, and fines of up to $250,000\.  
  

Since marriage fraud relates primarily to U.S. immigration law, the Bible has nothing to say about it directly; however, fraud of any kind is a practice that Scripture patently condemns: “Do not steal. Do not act deceptively or lie to one another” (Leviticus 19:11, CSB; see also Zephaniah 1:9; Mark 10:19\). Fraud is an act of deceit, treachery, and falsehood. The Bible calls believers to be people of integrity who are honest in all their dealings (Psalm 34:12–13; 1 Corinthians 6:7–8; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9–10\).  
  

Committing marriage fraud is breaking the law. The Bible instructs Christians to “submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God” (Romans 13:1, NLT). The people of God should never knowingly engage in criminal behavior of any kind (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 4:15\). God established government to ensure order, punish evildoers, and promote justice (Genesis 9:6; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Romans 12:8\). Believers are to obey the laws of the land and not circumvent them. When it comes to immigration, believers should pursue only the appropriate legal avenues, even if the legal path is more difficult, more time\-consuming, or more expensive.   
  

Marriage fraud violates God’s holy purpose in [marriage](marriage-Bible.html). The Bible says that marriage is a covenant relationship (Malachi 2:14; Proverbs 2:17; Ezekiel 16:8\). God established marriage to be a lifelong monogamous commitment between two people, one man and one woman, and Himself (Genesis 2:23–24; Matthew 19:6; 1 Corinthians 7:2; Ephesians 5:31\). One of God’s purposes in marriage is spiritual transformation—to help believers grow in holiness, becoming increasingly more like Christ as they learn to love and serve one another after the pattern He modeled (Ephesians 5:25–33\).  
  

In the Old Testament, God used marriage between a man and a woman as a symbol of God and His people (see Hosea 1:2—3:5; Jeremiah 2:1—4:4\). Christian marriage is a divine picture of Jesus Christ’s relationship with His bride, the church (Matthew 9:14–15; 22:1–14; 25:1–13; John 3:28–30; 2 Corinthians 11:1–3; Revelation 19:7–9; 21:2; 22:17–20\). For someone to engage in marriage fraud is a complete mockery of this holy institution.  
  

