Can you lose green card after divorce?

The good news is that there is nothing in U.S. immigration law saying that once people are divorced or their marriage is annulled, their efforts to get a green card are automatically over.

Can I lose my green card if I get divorce?

The vast majority of green card holders are mostly unaffected by a divorce. If you are already a lawful permanent resident with a 10-year green card, renewing a green card after divorce is uneventful. You file Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, to renew or replace the green card.

How long do you have to be married to keep your green card?

Because marriage is a relatively easy route to permanent residence, USCIS grants conditional permanent residence for two years. After two years, you will need to file Form I-751 to remove the conditions of residence and to get a permanent green card.

Will I get deported if I divorce?

Being married to a US citizen does not automatically provide an undocumented immigrant with legal status, and filing for divorce does not prompt deportation proceedings. Although the divorce court is not permitted to contact US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), others may do so.

Can a marriage green card be revoked?

You may apply to remove the conditions on your green card if you entered your marriage in good faith, meaning the marriage was not fraudulent. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) states the four situations regarding a spouse in which you may apply to have the conditions on a 2-year green card removed.

Divorce After Green Card: How it Affects You

What happens if you get divorced before 2 years?

But if you divorce (or your marriage is annulled) before the two years have passed and you want to continue to live in the U.S., filing this petition jointly with your spouse will be impossible. You will still need to submit Form I-751, but will have to include a request for a "waiver" of the joint filing requirement.

Do I need to notify USCIS of divorce?

The key thing to understand is that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will require a copy of either the divorce decree or marital settlement agreement as part of the non-citizen spouse's I-751 paperwork, and will take note of any allegation that the marriage was made in bad faith.

Can I divorce after 2 years green card?

Naturalization and Divorce

However, if you're married to a U.S. citizen, then you only have to wait three years after becoming a green card holder and then you can apply. If you divorce before you apply, then you have to wait the full five years that a non-marriage green card holder would.

Can I divorce after 10 year green card?

Can I Divorce After Getting a 10-Year Green Card? Yes. Once your conditions have been removed, you will not need to be married to a U.S. citizen in order to maintain your status. However, you will be unable to pursue U.S. citizenship unless you have been married to a citizen for a certain amount of time.

Can you lose citizenship after divorce?

Depending on your circumstance, a divorce may affect your eligibility to become a U.S. citizen even with a green card. When you file to become a citizen, the USCIS will review your immigration file in its entirety. They may find the timing of your divorce to be suspicious.

How does USCIS verify divorce?

USCIS will determine the validity of a divorce for immigration purposes by examining whether the state or country where the divorce was issued had proper jurisdiction.

What is considered abandonment of green card?

According to the immigration law, staying outside the country for over a year without prior notice to the authority is considered abandonment of your lawful permanent resident status.

Can you deport your spouse?

The answer is yes, you can. About 10% of all the people who get deported from the U.S. every year are lawful permanent residents. You can actually be deported for several reasons.

Can I stay in the US if I get divorced?

While many people believe that if you are divorced and don't have permanent resident status you will automatically be deported, there are exceptions. An immigration attorney may be able to help you file a waiver and remain in the United States if you can prove one of three exceptions to the deportation rule.

What happens if you divorce an immigrant?

If the immigrant is already a permanent resident when the marriage ends, divorce will have no effect on the person's immigration status. However, if and when the person applies for naturalized U.S. citizenship, USCIS could take another look at whether the marriage was real in the first place, as described next.

Can I renew my green card after divorce?

If your divorce is still pending by the time you file the form, you will need to send the USCIS a copy of the final divorce decree. Once the USCIS approves your petition, your Green Card will be renewed, and you and your children will be able to stay in the country for as long as you like.

How can I lose my green card?

Can a green card holder get alimony?

According to U.S. immigration law, the contract remains intact, even if a couple divorces. The only way an obligation to support ends is if the sponsored immigrant becomes a U.S. citizen or is employed for ten years and pays into the Social Security System—neither of which applies to the case at hand.

How do I deport someone with a green card?

There are additional criminal violations that may also lead to the deportation of green card holders. Crimes of moral turpitude consist of the intent to harm other individuals or their property, theft, fraud, and larceny. Domestic abuse and driving under the influence may also fall under this classification.

How do I remove my green card conditions after divorce?

In order to remove the conditions on residence and obtain a permanent green card, you will have to submit Form I-751 – Petition to Remove the Conditions of Residence. In most cases, this Form must be signed by you and your spouse, who is a US citizen or green cardholder. This is known as joint filling.

Can my wife cancel my conditional green card?

To remove conditional status, the green card holder and his or her spouse, must file Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, within 90 days of the expiration of permanent residence, i.e., within 90 days before the second anniversary of when the green card was issued.

Does adultery affect green card?

Yes. If you have had an extramarital affair within the Good Moral Character period that is required in order to naturalize (usually the past five years), it is possible you might not qualify for U.S. citizenship.

Does immigration check text messages?

If you are at U.S. port of entry or under investigation DHS may be able to view your phone calls and text messages. DHS also views your social media information.

Can I sponsor my new wife after divorce?

The law allows you to sponsor a new spouse for permanent residence so long as you are single and meet all the eligibility requirements of a sponsor.

Does USCIS check marriage records?

Evidence of Your Relationship

Love is harder to prove than combined financial responsibilities, but USCIS will need to see evidence of a love-based relationship before verifying your marriage.