Marriage as a “Free Pass” to Immigration

The desire to go immigrate to a foreign country has increased so much among Punjabis that would be immigrants are doing everything they can to leave their country and live anywhere else but India. In fact, some have reached foreign countries through such extreme methods as human trafficking, or willfully violating immigration laws. The lineup of those seeking to live abroad by marrying a foreign national seems to be growing longer recently, making this method of immigration very popular these days.

 Immigrations laws are strict in countries like England and America, making it difficult for false bridegrooms to enter these countries successfully. This is because in these countries if a cheat is caught, they are sent back. For example, people coming to America through marriage are first given a temporary two-year green card, which can be extended for up to 10 years. A person becomes a permanent resident only upon completion of this period. But such a marriage invariably leads to a free pass in Canada, perhaps one of the few countries that grant newlywed quick permanent resident status. This has contributed to making Canada a favorite destination for those using the marriage of convenience as a strategy to enter Canada.