I mean, this is just the requirement path for spousal citizenship. Other visas have different requirements. Here, You have an established couple. One person can definitely, legally, gain employment and save money for the process. Yes, it may cost upwards of $10,000 for just the residency. If ones already here illegally, and you’ve saved up that much, you could probably save a bit more and find a place to stay in another country. If this was during covid, I think the odds of a spousal immigrant staying in a camp on the boarder, are lower than for the people applying for asylum.
Honestly, anyone I’ve met, with a spouse from another country, has had no problem doing it this way. They meet while the one immigrating still has permanent residence in their home country. They commute and have a long distance relationship. They feel the risk of losing their family is too great, so they do it the right way. It’s fair, to think that idea should extend to employers, as well.
You’d be surprised how a pokemon go player will open the app in the middle of the wilderness, even with one questionable reception bar, just to see if there’s a secret rare pokemon that lives there. Bonus if you get a postcard from a pokestop someone submitted, because that trail mile marker is “special.” You can keep it for memories, or send it to a friend you’ve never spoken to, for bragging rights. It’s also not unheard of, for people to crawl through backroads in their car, since the app won’t let catch pokemon or count km’s, if you go more than ±15 mph.