Many non-U.S. citizens are hesitant to leave a spouse out of fear of the U.S. court system or concern for their residency status. You may be surprised to learn you don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to get divorced in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens are afforded the same resources and rights in divorce proceedings as U.S. citizens, including the ability to file for divorce and have an attorney represent them. However, a common question is how a divorce will affect their legal residency status.
Unless the marriage was fraudulent, or solely for the purposes of obtaining citizenship, the divorce will only have a small effect on the citizenship process. In most cases, the citizenship process may be delayed and additional proof may be required to show the marriage was legitimate. The proof required varies but factors include the length of the marriage and if any children were born of the marriage.
If you are considering divorce and are not sure how it will affect your residency status, contact an attorney at Mackey Law Group P.A. to help guide you through this process.
By: Jorge Martinez, Esq.
