True love is not a crime, but fraudulent marriage is,posted Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on ‘X’ as a warning to Canadian citizens on Valentine's Day. The IRCC cautioned that some individuals might use marriage as a trap to obtain Permanent Residency (PR) fraudulently. Such fraudulent marriages are not only occurring in Canada but also in the U.S., where people marry American citizens to secure a Green Card. Marrying a citizen of Canada or the U.S. is often seen as a shortcut to permanent settlement. Agencies facilitating these fake marriages charge individuals between ₹17-30 lakh to help them secure PR fraudulently.

In the U.S., those found guilty of marrying citizens solely for a Green Card face severe penalties. In 2023, Vikrant Chauhan (35) was sentenced to five years in prison and fined ₹2.2 crore for engaging in such fraudulent activity. Canada also imposes strict penalties, including fines, imprisonment, deportation, and even a permanent ban from re-entering the country.Authorities identify these fraudulent marriages through document verification, home inspections, and separate questioning of spouses. The IRCC actively investigates such cases to prevent immigration fraud.