Key Takeaways:
- When a U.S. citizen marries a non-resident, the government typically grants the individual status as a Conditional Permanent Resident (CPR), which grants the foreign-born spouse a two-year temporary authorization.
- Once the two-year period ends, the couple can petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for lawful permanent residence.
- Immigration will likely follow up periodically to confirm that this is a genuine marriage.
- In the case of divorce within two years, the USCIS considers the spouse from a foreign country “out-of-status.”
- If a marriage lasts longer than two years, subsequent divorces often proceed in a normal fashion.
Divorce is complicated enough under the best of circumstances. There are countless factors that further complicate matters. One factor that can complicate the process is having one spouse from a foreign country.
How to Divorce If Your Spouse Is From Another Country
In general, it’s not at all uncommon for people to fall in love with someone from another country. Like every other marriage, a lot goes into maintaining that relationship, and they don’t always work out.
Unlike other situations, divorce comes with a different set of complications when there’s one spouse from a foreign country.
What Is A Conditional Permanent Resident?
When a U.S. citizen marries a non-resident, the government typically grants the individual status as a Conditional Permanent Resident (CPR). This grants the foreign-born spouse a two-year temporary authorization, though it doesn’t automatically confer citizenship.
Once the two-year period ends, if the marriage remains intact, the couple can petition U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) for lawful permanent residence.
During this time, Immigration will likely check in on a regular basis. They want to ensure this is a real marriage, not merely a ploy to gain citizenship.
Because of this additional scrutiny, it’s important to document your marriage.
- If you go on trips, take photos, collect mementos, and do all of the usual couple of things.
- Set up joint bank accounts.
- Buy a car together.
- Establish that you share your lives.
- If there are children, that goes a long way toward showing a marriage is legitimate.
When the authorities examine your relationship, if it doesn’t look real, they may not believe it’s authentic. That has consequences.
Divorcing A Spouse From A Foreign Country
If a marriage lasts longer than two years and the spouse from a foreign country gains permanent residence status, subsequent divorces often proceed in a relatively normal fashion, like any other breakup between two Americans.
However, should a couple decide to divorce before that time, that’s when complications arise.
If a divorce involves one spouse who is a foreign national, the spouse’s citizenship status is important. Again, if the spouse already has full permanent residence, the government won’t revoke that status. It’s when that process is still in progress that things get dicey.
In the case of divorce within two years, upon the dissolution of marriage, the USCIS considers the spouse from a foreign country “out-of-status.”
This means the person is now unlawfully in the U.S. The situation is similar to when a student visa or another authorization expires. The spouse from a foreign country loses immigrant status and becomes subject to deportation.
There are, however, steps in place to prevent this.
Should a couple petition for divorce ahead of the two-year threshold, the spouse from a foreign country must apply for a termination waiver.
The USCIS Form I-751 must be filed before a marriage terminates. This shows that both parties entered into the marriage in good faith, underscoring that the marriage was real, not merely a quick pass into the country.
Protecting Immigration Status In Divorce
In most cases, both spouses must file Form I-751 jointly. Divorce isn’t always an amicable process, and cooperation may be hard to find. However, the spouse from a foreign country can request a waiver under certain conditions. If the non-citizen shows that:
- “Removal from the United States would result in extreme hardship.”
- “The CPR entered the marriage in good faith, but the marriage was terminated (other than through death); or
- “The CPR entered into the marriage in good faith, but the petitioning spouse or parent battered the CPR spouse or child.”
Essentially, the foreign spouse can divorce and petition to remain in the U.S. if returning to their home country could be dangerous or if remaining in the marriage puts them in harm’s way. Also, a spouse from a foreign country must demonstrate that the marriage was entered into in good faith.
Affidavit of Support
American citizens can sponsor their significant other for citizenship as an “immediate relative.” An individual who marries a person from another country and sponsors their immigration application must submit an affidavit of support.
In this document, the signer accepts the financial responsibility for this other person until they become a citizen.
It’s usually a relative—a husband, wife, child, or other relation—though that’s not a requirement. But that’s a whole different thing and not particularly relevant to a discussion of divorce.
It’s important to know that, if you sponsor your spouse for citizenship, divorce doesn’t automatically end the obligations agreed to on the affidavit of support. It’s a process to retract your patronage, though it is possible.
A divorce involving a spouse from a foreign country becomes complicated in short order. Not only do you have to deal with divorce laws, but there are also immigration and citizenship issues to take into account. In most cases, it’s in your best interest to consult a divorce attorney, but it’s especially vital in this situation.
Related Reading: Are Your Divorce Records Public?
