NOONG isang linggo ay aking tinalakay ang Removal of Conditions on Green Card at sinaad ko na kapag ang green card ay nakuha sa pamamagitan ng kasal sa isang US citizen (USC) at ang kasal ng mag-asawa ay wala pang 2 taon noong naaprubahan ng USCIS ang green card, ang green card na makukuha ng dayuhan ay conditional green card na may bisa na 2 taon. Ang dayuhan ay tinawag na conditional permanent resident (CPR). Upang magtanggal ng mga condition sa green card, ang CPR ay kailangang mag-file ng I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence sa loob ng 90 araw bago ang ikalawang anibersaryo niya bilang conditional resident (90-day limit). Kapag ang CPR ay nag-file ng I-751 Petition, kailangan niyang magbigay ng mga ebidensya at mga dokumento na magpapatunay na ang kanyang kasal sa USC ay totoong kasal at ang kasal ay hindi naganap upang lumabag sa US immigration laws. Ang I-751 Petition ay kailangang pirmahan ng CPR at asawang USC, kaya ito ay tinatawag na joint petition. Marami ang nagtanong sa aming opisina tungkol sa isyung ito at isa sa pinakamalimit na tanong ay kung anong mangyayari kung ang mag-asawa ay nakakuha na ng divorce bago pa mag-2nd anniversary ng green card. Ito ang aking tatalakayin ngayon.
Kung ang dating mag-asawa ay nakakuha na ng divorce decree, ang joint petition para sa removal ng mga condition ng green card ay hindi na possible. Ngunit ang CPR ay kailangan pa ring mag-file ng I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence at kailangang siyang humingi ng waiver ng joint filing requirement. Ang 90-day limit ay hindi kailangang sundin para sa pag-file ng waiver request. Sa ilalim ng Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), ang waiver ng joint filing ay maaaring maaprubahan sa tatlong paraan: (1) Extreme hardship o matinding paghihirap sa dayuhan ang magiging resulta kung siya ay made-deport (hardship waiver); (2) Ang kasal ay isang good faith marriage o totoong kasal at ang dayuhan ay hindi nagpakasal para lamang makakuha ng green card, ngunit mayroon nang divorce decree at ang divorce ay hindi dahil sa kasalanan ng dayuhan (good faith marriage waiver); o (3) Ang kasal ay good faith marriage, ngunit sa loob ng kasal na ito, ang dayuhan o ang anak ng dayuhan ay inabuso at sinaktan o kaya pinailalim sa matinding kalupitan ng asawang USC (waiver based on extreme mental cruelty or battery).
Kung may divorce decree na bago pa ang 2-year anniversary ng conditional green card, ang basihan ng waiver ay good faith marriage waiver. Kailangang mapatunayan ng CPR sa USCIS na may mga mabisang dahilan para sa exception sa joint filing requirement dahil ang kasal ay totoong kasal at hindi business transaction para lumabag sa US Immigration Laws. Ang mga ebidensya ng bona fide marriage ay mga dokumentong magpapakita ng commitment ng mag-asawa sa isa’t-isa tulad ng pagsasama ng kanilang mga pera at kayamanan, haba ng kanilang pagsasama bilang mag-asawa, at birth certificate ng kanilang mga anak. Ang I-751 Waiver ay discretionary kaya’t ang CPR ay kailangan ding magbigay sa USCIS ng paliwanag kung bakit sila ay nag-divorce na at ito ay hindi kasalanan ng CPR, ngunit kasalanan ng asawang USC, tulad ng pag-iwan at pag-abandona sa kanya ng USC, pagkakulong ng USC, o pangangalunya ng USC.
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Last week I discussed Removal on Conditions on Green Card and stated that when a green card is obtained through marriage to a US citizen (USC) spouse and the couple is married less than 2 years during the adjudication of the green card, the green card that the alien/conditional permanent resident (CPR) will receive will be a conditional green card, valid for 2 years. To remove the conditions on the green card, the CPR must file an I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence during the 90 days before his 2nd anniversary as a conditional resident (“90-day limit”) and submit evidence on the bona fides of the marriage and that the marriage was not entered into for the purpose of evading US immigration laws. This Petition must be signed by the CPR and USC spouse and hence the petition is a joint petition. There were many questions addressed to our office and one of the most frequently asked questions is what happens if the couple is already divorced before the 2nd anniversary of the green card. This is what I will discuss today.
If the couple obtains a divorce prior to the 2nd anniversary of the green card, the joint petition for removal of conditions on green card will not be possible. The CPR will still need to submit an I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, but the CPR will have to request for a waiver of the joint filing requirement. The 90-day limit is not imposed for the filing of a waiver request. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), waiver of joint filing may be obtained under the following three circumstances: (1) Extreme hardship will result if the alien is deported (hardship waiver); (2) The qualifying marriage was entered into in good faith by the alien spouse, but the qualifying marriage has been terminated (other than through death of the spouse) and the alien was not at fault (good faith marriage waiver); or (3) The qualifying marriage was entered into in good faith by the alien spouse and during the marriage, the alien spouse or child was battered by or subject to extreme cruelty perpetrated by the USC spouse (waiver based on extreme mental cruelty or battery).
If a divorce decree has already been obtained before the 2-year anniversary of the conditional green card, the basis for the waiver is good faith marriage waiver. The CPR has to convince USCIS that valid reasons exist to allow an exception to the joint filing requirement by showing that the marriage was bona fide and was not a “business transaction” for the purpose of evading US immigration laws. The evidence of bona fide marriage should include evidence relating to the amount of commitment by both parties to the marital relationship such as documentation of joint financial activities, length of residence together, and birth certificates of the children born of the marriage. I-751 Waivers are discretionary so the CPR must prepare a written explanation as to why the marriage ended and if possible, submit documents on the circumstances surrounding the end of the marriage not due to the fault of the CPR such as abandonment, imprisonment or adultery of the USC spouse.
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ATTY. RHEA SAMSON is a Partner at LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW FIRM. Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson are both licensed to practice law in California and in the Philippines. Both Attorneys were also professors. LINDAIN & SAMSON LAW FIRM aims to provide excellent and efficient legal representation to clients, and support clients in achieving their goals and dreams. As professors, Atty. Lindain and Atty. Samson wish to educate the younger generation, as it is through education and continuous study that one can achieve success and serve others.
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