Ghanaian Lawyer Opens Up On Benefits Of Marrying A US Citizen: "You Can Apply For US Citizenship In 3 Years"

Ghanaian Lawyer Opens Up On Benefits Of Marrying A US Citizen: "You Can Apply For US Citizenship In 3 Years"

  • A lawyer has revealed that marrying a US national is the one surest way of becoming an American citizen
  • Akua Poku said it is against the laws of the US to use an American citizen as a conduit to get citizenship
  • She also hinted that people now discourage US nationals from marrying undocumented immigrants

Akua Poku, a respected Ghanaian immigration lawyer based in the United States, has enlightened prospective travellers and immigrants on certain things they must take note of, especially when it comes to marrying an American citizen.

Speaking to YEN.com.gh, the young lawyer revealed that marriage is one of the surest ways for undocumented immigrants to acquire citizenship in a country like the US.

Photo of Akua Poku and a married couple
Lawyer speaks on immigrants marrying US nationals Photo credit: @Akua Poku @Robert Westbrook/GettyImages
Source: UGC
"According to US immigration laws, once you get married to a US citizen as an immigrant, you qualify to apply for a green card soon thereafter and you may also be eligible to apply for US citizenship in 3 years by reason of your marriage to a US citizen."

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She, however disclosed that in recent times, people strongly advise US nationals against marrying undocumented immigrants in their country because of the many incidents of betrayal that pop up during the marriage.

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"People advise US citizens and green card holders strongly against doing this because of the betrayal stories and ingratitude they have witnessed in the past through the experiences of others.
The betrayal happens once the immigrants get their papers or green cards. There is now a high level of mistrust for you if you are undocumented in the US and want to get married to a US citizen or you are an immigrant outside the US trying to get married to a green card holder or a US citizen"

Akua Poku added that individuals who woo US nationals into marriage simply because they want to acquire citizenship must be careful because the laws frown on that.

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" If you genuinely fall in love with a US citizen or a Canadian citizen and you want to get married to them, that is fair and fine.
However, it is obviously not recommended to have someone fall in love with you and sacrifice for you when you know you are only using them as a conduit to get a green card or to get status in another country. In the US, this is a type of marriage fraud and a felony offence: where a foreign national defrauds a U.S. citizen who believes the marriage is legitimate.

Pastor refuses to officiate marriage of undocumented immigrant

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that a pastor opted not to bless the union of a man and his wife-to-be in Canada.

In the video that has gone viral on TikTok, the officiating pastor, who happened to be the father of the bride, said the groom was undocumented.

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He added that the man only wants to marry his daughter because he desires to get the necessary documents.

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Source: YEN.com.gh

Authors:
Philip Boateng Kessie avatar

Philip Boateng Kessie (Human-Interest editor) Philip Boateng Kessie started writing for YEN.com.gh in 2022 and is the Head of the Human Interest desk. He has over six years of experience in journalism and graduated from the University of Cape Coast in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies. Philip previously served as a reporter for Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and as a content writer for Scooper News. He has a certificate in Google News Initiative News Lab courses in Advanced Digital Reporting and Fighting Misinformation. Email: philip.kessie@yen.com.gh.