Prevent Marriage Fraud
Protect your future by putting safeguards in place before immigration filings create irreversible legal and financial risk.
GUARD I
Independent Legal Counsel
Most immigration attorneys are trained to secure immigration benefits, not to protect U.S. citizen sponsors from long-term risk. This structural bias can leave sponsors exposed to serious financial and legal liability. Independent counsel—whose sole duty is to the U.S. citizen—counterbalances this bias by evaluating your interests, risks, and consequences independently of the immigration outcome.
GUARD II
Background Investigation
True due diligence goes beyond public-record searches and requires active verification of life history and prior representations. Legal counsel can conduct background checks, formally request documentary evidence from the intending immigrant, and interview to resolve inconsistencies. This process ensures critical facts are verified by a neutral third party rather than accepted through trust or informal assurances.
GUARD III
Social Vetting & Feedback
Social vetting involves allowing trusted friends and family to observe the relationship and provide candid feedback. Your community understands your values, history, and vulnerabilities better than any professional. Their outside perspective is a powerful safeguard, as manipulators often rely on isolation to conceal behavioral red flags that loved ones instinctively recognize.
GUARD IV
Premarital Counseling
Premarital counseling allows an independent, trained professional to assess the relationship before legal commitments are made. Willing participation is itself revealing: genuine partners typically engage, while resistance can signal risk. Counseling also tests alignment on foundational issues—such as finances, expectations, and family dynamics—that often become sources of conflict after sponsorship begins.
GUARD V
Premarital Agreement
Discussing a prenuptial agreement introduces financial clarity and asset protection before marriage. While such agreements do not eliminate federal I-864 sponsorship liability, they can protect state-based assets and function as an effective fraud filter. Those seeking marriage for resource extraction often resist financial boundaries, while bona fide partners are generally open to transparency.
GUARD VI
Pre-Immigration Agreement
The immigration system can impose extensive liability on sponsors while sharply limiting their rights at specific intervals. To address this imbalance, prospective sponsors may consider utilizing a pre-immigration agreement. For example, the ‘Immigration Prenup’ developed by our trusted partner, Codias Law, functions as a ‘Sponsor’s Bill of Rights,’ establishing safeguards for the sponsor while strengthening evidence of a bona fide marriage.