Subject: Re: Green Card interviews end in handcuffs
“ If they are applying for a green card, they have (had?) a valid visa. Things may have changed since I had to deal with this system, but it's pretty straightforward. You get a fiance (or spousal) visa, bring the person over, and then you have so many days (it was 90, I think) to get married and file the next step of paperwork. As long as you're doing that, you're legal. ”

25 years ago we had the app in for the fiancé visa. It was taking a long time and we’d already been apart for over a year. I consulted a lawyer who told us DO NOT enter on a tourist visa and get married. That’s a big no no. Wait for the fiancé visa or get an H1B.

I wonder if that’s what happened in these cases? Sad to say, a lawyer is absolutely needed.