Marriage of convenience

Marriage of convenience

A marriage of convenience (plural marriages of convenience) is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the reasons of relationship, family, or love. Instead, such a marriage is orchestrated for personal gain or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as political marriage. The phrase is a calque of French: mariage de convenance - a marriage of convention, or marriage of suitability. In the cases when it represents a fraud, it is called sham marriage.

Contents

Legal loophole

Marriages of convenience are often contracted to exploit legal loopholes of various sorts.

A couple may wed for reasons of citizenship or right of abode, for example, as many countries around the world will grant such rights to any wedded resident.

U.S. Immigration (USCIS) can punish this with a $250,000 fine and five-year prison sentence.[1][2][3]

The term "marriage of convenience" has also come into popular use at the University of Adelaide and other Australian Universities as a sort of catch-cry against the Australian Government's Youth Allowance laws. On the 31st of March 2010 two students were publicly and legally married on the University's lawn in a so called "marriage of convenience" so that they could both receive full youth allowance.[4]

Homosexuality

Another common reason for marriages of convenience is to hide one partner's homosexuality in cases where being openly gay is punishable or potentially detrimental. A sham marriage of this type, known as the lavender marriage, may thus create the appearance of heterosexuality. Such marriages may have one heterosexual and one gay partner, or two gay partners. In the case where a gay man marries a woman, the woman is said to be his "beard".

Metaphorical usage

The phrase "marriage of convenience" has also been generalized to mean any partnership between groups or individuals for their mutual (and sometimes illegitimate) benefit, or between groups or individuals otherwise unsuited to working together. An example would be a "National Unity Government", as existed in Israel during much of the 1980s or in Second World War Great Britain. More specifically, cohabitation refers to a political situation which can occur in countries with a semi-presidential system (especially France), where the president and the prime minister belong to opposed political camps.

Political marriage

Some marriages in medieval times were marriages of convenience, such as that of Agnes of Courtenay.

See also

References

  1. ^ US Department of Justice, "1948 Marriage Fraud—8 U.S.C. § 1325(c) and 18 U.S.C. § 1546", US Attorneys Manual, Title 9, Criminal Resource Manual.

    The Immigration Marriage Fraud Amendments Act of 1986 amended § 1325 by adding § 1325(c), which provides a penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine for any "individual who knowingly enters into a marriage for the purpose of evading any provision of the immigration laws."

  2. ^ USCIS, "11 Arrested, Indicted in Multi-State Operation Targeting Visa and Mail Fraud".

    "The maximum sentences for the above charges are:

    • Conspiracy: 5 Years in Prison and a $250,000 fine
    • Mail Fraud: 20 Years in Prison and a $250,000 fine
    • Wire Fraud 20 Years in Prison and a $250,000 fine
    • False Statement in Immigration Matter: 10 Years in Prison and a $250,000 fine"
  3. ^ Fraudulent marriage is any marriage that has been entered into with the sole purpose of circumventing the law. According to the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), Act 255 [8 U.S.C 1325], the consequences of entering into a marriage in order to evade the law include incarceration for up to five years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
  4. ^ Hood, Lucy, "Students marry to highlight youth allowance inconsistancies", The Advertiser, Adelaide, Australia, April 1, 2010

Further reading

External links

Media related to Marriage of convenience at Wikimedia Commons


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • marriage of convenience — A marriage of convenience is a marriage or commitment made for financial, social or other benefit rather than love, affection, etc …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • marriage of convenience — ► marriage of convenience a marriage concluded primarily to achieve a practical purpose. Main Entry: ↑marriage …   English terms dictionary

  • marriage of convenience — n. marriage entered into from calculated self interest or expediency …   English World dictionary

  • marriage of convenience — noun a marriage for expediency rather than love • Hypernyms: ↑marriage, ↑matrimony, ↑union, ↑spousal relationship, ↑wedlock * * * Etymology: translation of French mariage de convenance : a marriage contracted rather for the advantages (as keeping …   Useful english dictionary

  • marriage of convenience — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms marriage of convenience : singular marriage of convenience plural marriages of convenience a marriage arranged for political or financial reasons and not for love …   English dictionary

  • marriage of convenience — fiktyvi santuoka statusas Aprobuotas sritis viešasis administravimas apibrėžtis Lietuvos Respublikos piliečio arba teisėtai Lietuvos Respublikoje gyvenančio užsieniečio ir užsieniečio, kuris nėra Europos Sąjungos valstybės narės pilietis,… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • marriage of convenience — marriage of con venience n 1.) an agreement between two or more countries, businesses, or people that is only made for political or economic reasons 2.) a marriage for political or economic reasons, not for love …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • marriage of convenience — marriage of con venience noun count a marriage arranged for political or financial reasons and not for love …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • marriage of convenience — marriage entered into for a personal or family advantage, as for social, political, or economic reasons, usually without love and sometimes without the expectation of sexual relations. [1705 15] * * * …   Universalium

  • marriage of convenience — marriage entered into for practical reasons (and not for love) …   English contemporary dictionary

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