• 15 August 2017

Good afternoon. I’d like to introduce myself first. I am Allan Samson. I am an immigration attorney and I am also a professor in the San Francisco Bay Area. I do two things. I specialized in several aspects in immigration law and I’d like to talk about those aspects now.

First I am going to consider getting a green card. You can get a green card in several ways. The easiest way is through a job or through family relationship. Family relationship I mean marriage to a U.S. citizen; by getting a job I mean getting a job which is in generally short supply with another considered not being qualified Americans and the international business person, or international employee has a chance to get a green card in this way. So let’s take one step at a time.

First, immigration to family law. As I mentioned the easiest way perhaps marriage to an American citizen but it’s also the most dangerous way. If I am going to give you one piece of advice that you should remember is: Your marriage must be a valid bona fide marriage, must not be entered into only for immigration purpose to get a green card. Because if USCIS determines that your marriage is a false marriage or a fake marriage, this can permanently prevent you from ever coming into the United States again for the rest of your life. I know you are smart but the immigration officials are probably just as smart as you are. And they had years of experience learning how to interview you, learning for situations where hesitance is involved, where you are not too sure of your answer, and follow up with secondary questions which will further leading you into a trap. The trap in admission or they are feeling somehow your marriage is a fake marriage, this is probably a real marriage but it’s a fake marriage. Other things they are known to do is not to give you a decision right away, tell you this decision will be come later on. And call you in for a second interview which they separate you from your wife or from your husband.

They ask you the same questions only you don’t know the questions are asked to your husband or your wife. And they want to see if you answer them the same way. For example, what did you have for dinner the night before? Where do you sleep? Do you sleep in the same room? Do you sleep in one bed or two beds? If you sleep in one bed, what’s side the bed you are on? Where is your toothpaste located? Is there a television in your bedroom? If so where is the television set? Is there a nightstand next to your bed? If so is it on your husband’s side, your wife’s side, or both sides? All of those questions if the couple does not actually live together they are gonna make mistakes. They will not be able to answer the questions consistently. Other similar questions might be: What was the last movie you saw? What was the last restaurant you went to? Or who cooked dinner the night before the interview? What did you have for dinner? Who usually goes to bed first? So as you can see all these questions if you actually are married in a valid marriage and you actually are living together, you do not really have to think, the quick answers come naturally. Honesty is the best policy. Honesty is the policy which does not arise any suspicion. If you are not married or if it’s not a real marriage or if it’s a pretended marriage, you probably will not be able to answer these questions consistently. And this will call for usually a second interview. Sometimes before or after the second interview, USCIS will do a surprise visit to your house at 5 or 6 in the morning to see if you are really home, if you are really living together with your husband or wife. So you can see all these are dangerous points. Well if I can give you one single piece of advice: Do not marry just for immigration purpose. It’s likely that you will be caught. It’s likely that your answers will be inconsistent. And as I said before if UCISC determines that your marriage is a fraud marriage, it will probably prevent you from not only ever getting a green card but will probably prevent you from ever coming back to the United States. So that’s dangerous point.