Immigration Law

Foreign nationals may obtain their green cards by marriage through a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR). If the marriage is less than two years old at the time residence is granted, the foreign national will receive conditional permanent resident status. Conditional residents and their spouses are required to remove those conditions two years after residency is granted by filing a Petition to Remove Conditions on Form I-751.

The most pressing question is whether divorce during the specified period affects the Petition to Remove Conditions. If the marriage falls apart during that two year window, it will be necessary to file for a waiver of the requirement that both spouses sign the petition.

However, the conditional resident requesting a waiver will have to show the marriage was entered into in good faith. In order to show the Immigration Service that the marriage was entered in good faith, the alien should provide documents such as birth certificates of the children, documents showing that the financial assets and liabilities were combined, and documents showing the length of time the parties lived together.

If you have questions regarding how to file a waiver of the requirement to file I-751 jointly, please call us.