CHICAGO, Jan. 14 Marriage fraud is on the rise throughout the United States, creating more hurdles for legitimate couples to attain legal residency.The Chicago Sun-Times reported on Williette and Andre Whitt, who have been facing problems at the immigration office. Williette, 22, is a refugee from Africa who was brought to the United States on a medical visa when she was suffering from a rare illness. She met Andre, 26, who is a legal U.S. resident, at the University of Chicago, where she was sent to recieve care and undergo medical tests.Because the couple live with a relative and have no lease, and because they opened a joint checking account just days before going to the immigration office, they were met with suspicion from authorities. An absence of wedding photos also raised red flags, the newspaper said.The Whitts told the Sun-Times they are still working on Williette's status and do not know if she will be able to stay in the United States.In 2005, 259,144 legal immigrants became permanent legal residents after marrying U.S. citizens, the newspaper said.Copyright 2007 by UPI
