[DigitalSea]

If you faked a degree, you would definitely be caught. If you are caught defrauding the Government in such a way, you might escape jail time (if it is your first offense) but also face the possibility of a ban from the US itself (permanently or for a very long time). This means you would not possibly even be able to travel to the US as a tourist because you tried to deceptively defraud.

Not really an avenue I am looking to explore, thanks. I am going to speak with an immigration lawyer and see what my options are, perhaps for other visas, equivalency for education experience to substitute and an exception on an application. I will probably write up a little blog post detailing how I go, for anyone else who finds themselves in a similar situation.