After thinking about your question, I know of two such cases within my family. In both cases, the girls were average-to-below average looking and guys were relatively better. By average i mean, mediocre looks (one is kinda fat), so so personality and not too stellar education (one was studying to be a nurse and the other a high school grad only… both are now living it up on their hubby’s money at home :)).
First case, the guy did his MBBS in Pak, and was working at a crappy typical govt hospital job. Yet he was quite ambitious and hard working person. When a rishta opportunity came for a girl from US he went for it and came to the US. Apart from the fact that the girl was American born and bred and could get him entry there, i cant think of any other reason why he would have married her. After coming in to US, he worked at a gas station for like 3-4 years while his wife was going to nursing college; he did his exams and cleared them and today for the last 15 years is a doctor in US and has 2 children (boys). They have one of the nicest houses i have ever seen in my life (with a lake in it!)…
Second case, the guy was studying on a student visa in an average state university and after studies, couldnt find a job to keep him in US and then his parents started the process for marriage to someone who could keep him there. He ended up marrying this woman, who otherwise would not have gotten such a great looking guy as husband IMO. He too worked very hard after marriage, became a CA and is one of the richest people I know personally of. These guys too have 2 kids (both boys too… seems like some pattern here lol) …
I have interacted more with the CA guy, and he is happy to tell people that it is because of his wife that he is so successful, that she brought him the good luck in life etc… So basically what i can tell you is that in both these cases I know of, the men were quite eligible bachelors. Infact in Pak, they could have found better wives if visa issue was not important to them. If you looked at their wedding photos, you would probably question the match and still looking at them together makes me wonder how those guys could do so much better. And these girls found husbands which were certainly beyond their reach normally. Both started off as quite normal couples, working hard to feed themselves and to pay their bills, but through their hardwork together reached great heights.
Then I know of a few more cases, where people married women just and i mean just to get green cards to stay in US.. like not even Pakistani girls, just anyone who would agree to sponsor them and they would pay them money or live with them for a few years etc.. and there lives are really living hell…
So, it really depends on your friend’s circumstance. You have really and objectively look at yourself first, that if she could do better than what is on the table for her, if the guy is actually interested in a family and green card thing is just an icing on the cake; if the guy has any potential to be successful and that by marriage they truly mean marriage and not just a convenience… and if yes, then she should go for it… afterall only 1 in 25 arranged marriages end up in divorce (simpsons lol)