Marriage based applications for immigration rights are routinely scrutinized and heavily investigated by the Department of Immigration. If a fraudulent marriage is uncovered then the parties to that marriage based application or grant of marriage based immigration benefits and rights could be criminally prosecuted, risk high monetary penalties, deportation from the U.S., and subjection to a permanent bar from re-entry into the United States. The U.S. citizen convicted of being involved in this type of fraud scheme would risk being heavily fined or jailed for committing a federal crime.
There is a two year testing or marital petition investigation period imposed by the Department of Immigration prior to the issuance of a green card to an individual based on a marital relationship claim of entitlement. It is important to understand that the end of the two year investigative period does not end the Department of Immigration's review or investigation concerning any suspected fraudulent marriage based claim to immigration rights or entitlements. If the Department of Immigration at any time obtains credible evidence that it issued immigration rights or benefits based on a fraudulent or sham marriage claim then it can rescind the rights it allowed to the parties and begin criminal proceedings again the U.S. citizen and deportation proceedings against immigrant application regardless of whether or not that individual later became a U.S. citizen. Citizenship obtained based on this type of immigration fraud is readily and commonly rescinded.