3 ms·

I'd like to see a citation for that rather than anecdotal evidence. There were a bit over 2 million marriages in the US in 2012. There were some 27k K-1 visas

I'd like to see a citation for that rather than anecdotal evidence. There were a bit over 2 million marriages in the US in 2012. There were some 27k K-1 visas issued in 2012 (there were more IR-1 and CR-1 visas, but those are generally issued to people who married abroad). I don't know the numbers on change of status applications, but I doubt they'd be an order of magnitude higher, especially given that if you're not on an immigrant visa already, you may be in for additional scrutiny.

VLM 13y ago
I'm guessing this is one of those legendary examples where startups consisting of young urban professionals only know of, and only attempt to solve young urban professional problems. In SV, or maybe Manhattan, or Mt View, that anecdote is probably true, but in the rest of the country the situation is a rounding error.
ronaldx 13y ago
I think you already recognise that this anecdote is difficult or impossible to measure, but let's try e.g. http://www.immigrationboards.com/ireland/large-number-of-sham-marriages-uncovered-t31286.html http://www.immigrationboards.com/ireland/large-number-of-sha... Here is a politician admitting that 3% of Irish marriages are 'sham': http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ Edited to clarify: Not a majority, but 'sham' is a far stronger condition than what I'm talking about. This represents evidence that people are motivated to get married for residency: but the type of marriage I am talking about is not counted in these stats (those where marriage papers are motivated by a genuine goal to live in the same country as your partner).
- rbehrends 13y ago
  3% is not even remotely "a majority".
- rsynnott 13y ago
  > Here is a politician admitting that 3% of Irish marriages are 'sham': http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ He's not a politician, he's a civil servant, and he's not admitting it, he's claiming it. And 3% is, erm, a very, very long way from a majority.

VLM 13y ago

I'm guessing this is one of those legendary examples where startups consisting of young urban professionals only know of, and only attempt to solve young urban professional problems. In SV, or maybe Manhattan, or Mt View, that anecdote is probably true, but in the rest of the country the situation is a rounding error.

ronaldx 13y ago

I think you already recognise that this anecdote is difficult or impossible to measure, but let's try e.g. http://www.immigrationboards.com/ireland/large-number-of-sham-marriages-uncovered-t31286.html http://www.immigrationboards.com/ireland/large-number-of-sha... Here is a politician admitting that 3% of Irish marriages are 'sham': http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ Edited to clarify: Not a majority, but 'sham' is a far stronger condition than what I'm talking about. This represents evidence that people are motivated to get married for residency: but the type of marriage I am talking about is not counted in these stats (those where marriage papers are motivated by a genuine goal to live in the same country as your partner).

rbehrends 13y ago
3% is not even remotely "a majority".
rsynnott 13y ago
> Here is a politician admitting that 3% of Irish marriages are 'sham': http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0728/465110-sham-marriages/ He's not a politician, he's a civil servant, and he's not admitting it, he's claiming it. And 3% is, erm, a very, very long way from a majority.