'IELTS Brides': Unemployed Punjabi Men are Paying Huge Sums to 'Lure' Future Wives

Punjab is currently witnessing a surge in the practice of ‘contractual marriages’. Moving and starting a new life abroad has always been a dream of many. To fulfill this dream, many give the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). For those who don’t know, once you get a decent IELTS score, you can start applying to universities. IELTS simplifies your process of getting admission in a foreign university. While many people find it really easy and easily manage to score a good number, there are also people who find it too hard to understand the language and are left with a bad score. Now, these people have come with another method which will help them to move abroad.

Here comes the concept of ‘contractual marriages’ which is only seeing a surge. This is an arrangement between two families where a less educated person, who cannot score well in the IELTS exam, sponsors a financially low yet bright girl student’s studies abroad. In exchange, the person will get a spouse visa.

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To facilitate these arrangements, misleading matrimonial advertisements in Punjab dailies are doing rounds. The idea is to find an intelligent girl who is willing to give the IELTS exams. These advertisements openly offer financial incentives.

Raminder Singh, the proprietor of a local marriage bureau, shed light on this evolving trend. He explained that earlier, such arrangements were often made discreetly. However, now the scene has changed and all of it is being done openly. The families are now more openly engaging marriage bureaus to connect with partners who can fund their daughters’ foreign studies.

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According to reports, he said, “There’s a growing craze for securing opportunities for children to settle abroad. Approximately, 90 per cent of the marriage profiles we’re receiving pertain to identifying suitable NRI boys or girls.”