Divorce and Green Cards

I just hung up the phone from a new client who was very upset with good reason. What she said that touched me was, “Claudia, please share my story. Please let other women know about the mistakes I made so they won’t make the same mistakes.”

She was born in Canada and had been in the United States for six months, when she met her husband and married him. He is a U.S. Citizen. He told her that he was applying for her to get her green card a.k.a. permanent residence card. She never followed through or made sure he had done what he said.

Per The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “An immediate relative relationship allows you to apply on Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, to become a permanent resident at the same time your U.S. citizen petitioner files Form I-130, Petition for Alien Relative.”

Her husband began to abuse her physically and emotionally. When she couldn’t take it any longer, she told him that she was going to file for divorce. At that point, he told her that he had never filed the appropriate paperwork.

It was only then, that she realized the mistakes she made when she trusted what he said and did not follow through.

Now she is facing deportment. She is pregnant and terrified.

Photo: NYCMarines