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Feds bust one of largest alleged marriage fraud schemes in US history involving 1,000-plus Chinese sham unions
US federal prosecutors have charged 11 people in New York over an alleged decade-long marriage fraud scheme that arranged more than 1,000 sham weddings between Chinese nationals and American citizens to obtain green cards. Officials described it as one of the largest such prosecutions in US history, saying it operated as a sophisticated, multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise rather than a small-scale operation, involving staged wedding photos, coached USCIS interviews and pre-arranged divorces once immigration status was secured.
The defendants, all naturalised US citizens from China bar one green card holder, face charges including conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration document fraud. Foreign nationals reportedly paid up to $100,000 to take part, while US citizen participants received as much as $30,000 and recruiters earned commissions of up to $5,000 per person enlisted. The scheme, which ran from at least 2016 to July 2026 and extended to Vanuatu and China, is estimated to have generated tens of millions of dollars, and authorities are now examining whether green cards obtained through it should be revoked.
In short
- US charges 11 in alleged 1,000-plus sham marriage scheme for green cards
- Foreign nationals paid up to $100,000; citizens paid up to $30,000
- Decade-long network allegedly earned tens of millions of dollars
Explained simply
A green card allows someone to live and work permanently in the United States. A US citizen can sponsor a foreign spouse for immigration status, but the marriage must be genuine; arranging a marriage solely to obtain that status is a crime.
The case centres on prosecutors’ allegation that a network connected Chinese nationals seeking US residence with American citizens willing to take part in sham marriages. Immigration officials assess marriage-based applications, including through interviews and supporting documents, and authorities can investigate suspected fraud and review status obtained through it.