Legal Definitions - sham marriage

Definition: A sham marriage is a purported marriage in which all the formal requirements are met or seemingly met, but in which the parties go through the ceremony with no intent of living together as husband and wife.

Example: A U.S. citizen marries a foreign citizen solely for the purpose of allowing the foreign citizen to become a permanent U.S. resident. This is also known as a green-card marriage.

Explanation: The example illustrates a sham marriage because the parties do not intend to live together as husband and wife, but rather enter into the marriage for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits. This type of marriage is illegal and can result in serious consequences for those involved.