The executive producer of the show, Eddie Rivera, does not hide that it is based on a very popular TV show in the United States in the 1960s-70s, "The Dating Game," in which single American men and women asked questions to participants and at the end chose a worthy partner for themselves. The main difference of the new show is that its participants are male immigrants who have legally entered the country, have temporary visas, and dream of becoming US citizens. They will be asked questions by an unmarried American woman, who will choose the one she wants to date and possibly marry in the future.
The show's organizers do not guarantee the winner either a wedding or, especially, the coveted "green card," which grants the right to permanent residence and work in the United States, but if the relationship does lead to marriage, they promise to pay for the celebration and honeymoon. The pilot episode features participants from Latin America, but representatives of Morusa Media claim they are open to representatives of all countries. The main condition is legal entry to the US and possession of a temporary visa.
"We want to prove that love knows no borders," said Adrian Martinez, the author of the project "Who Wants to Marry an American Woman?" "Our show is very relevant precisely for Americans, who are a multinational people."
Unlike the general population, officials viewed the new show with suspicion. Sean Saucier, a press relations officer at the Immigration and Naturalization Service, hastened to declare that meeting an American woman on a game show would not be an obstacle to obtaining US citizenship, but it would certainly raise questions for inspectors at the Department of Homeland Security. "If the participant's goal is to get to know a US citizen and later marry, then there may be certain doubts about the legality of such actions. We will have to pay special attention to that person," explained Sean Saucier, commenting on the "suspicious" show on one television program.
To obtain US citizenship after marrying a US citizen, an immigrant must first provide documentary evidence of the marriage, and then together with his wife undergo an interview at the Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the interview is to determine whether the marriage is fraudulent and whether it was entered into solely to gain a new status in America. Penalties for sham marriages are severe: imprisonment for up to 5 years and a fine of $250,000.
Sergei LAVINOV.
Novye Izvestiya