Marriages of convenience are entered into for reasons other than love, such as to hide unpopular lifestyles or gain citizenship. They were popular in the Middle Ages and are still used today, with some being referred to as lavender weddings. Many countries have laws to prevent such practices. In the US, marriages involving noncitizens have a 90-day review period and conditional immigration status for two years. If the marriage is ruled invalid, the person can be deported.
A marriage of convenience is a marriage entered into for reasons other than romantic love. Such marriages can be formed out of a desire to hide unpopular personal lifestyles, to gain citizenship in a country, or in a traditional political marriage to unite conflicting or disparate factions. This latter type of sham marriage was especially popular in the Middle Ages, when marriages between different royal families and nations could form stronger ties and centers of power across Europe. In many countries, marriages of convenience entered into for a person to obtain citizenship in the country are illegal and can result in fines or deportation.
Although marriages between royal factions or bloodlines are rarer today than in the past, some forms of sham marriage are still in use. A sham marriage between a man and a woman, in which one or both are homosexuals, is often referred to as a lavender wedding. This type of marriage was entered into by celebrities and actors, especially during the 20th century, to maintain a particular public image or enforced sense of decency. Because public consideration of homosexuality has often been negative and those who were openly homosexual were often punished or attacked, some people who have worked in the public eye have had to hide their true orientation. American actor Rock Hudson is one of the most famous examples of a lavender wedding, when he married a woman at the insistence of the film studio he worked for.
Sometimes a marriage of convenience can also be entered into to help an immigrant with temporary citizenship status stay in a country indefinitely. As these types of marriages have become increasingly common, many countries around the world have passed laws to prevent such practices or punish those who engage in them. In the United States (USA), the Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments of 1986 imposed a 90-day review period following any marriage involving a person who is not a permanent US citizen.
For the first two years of a marriage that includes a noncitizen, the person only has conditional immigrant status in the United States, and the married couple must prove the validity of their marriage to ensure full citizenship status for the person. In a bogus marriage for citizenship, if the marriage is ruled invalid by the government, the conditional immigration status can be revoked and the person can be deported. Other countries have similar laws and penalties in place to try to ensure that marriage is not used as a loophole to gain citizenship.
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