Source: http://lawandborder.com/guide-form-751-petition-remove-conditions-residence/
Timestamp: 2018-12-11 12:04:59
Document Index: 592004003

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 3', '§ 216', '§ 216', '§ 216', '§ 103', '§ 216', '§216', '§ 211', '§ 216', '§ 235', '§103', '§ 216']

Posted on September 25, 2015 October 8, 2017 by Gary Chodorow
2. Requirements for Removal of the Conditions on Residency
2.1 Proving the Validity of the Marriage
3.6 Receipt Notice and Tracking Case Status
3.10 What if the I-751 Is Still Pending More Than One Year After the I-551 Has Expired?
3.14 Issuance of the New Permanent Resident Card
This article explains the requirements and procedures for a conditional resident to file a Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence. Feel free to ask questions or add your thoughts in the below “Comments” section.
A child may also become a conditional resident if they immigrate on the basis of an immigrant petition by a U.S. citizen stepparent. If the child immigrates to the U.S. while the marriage is less than two years old, USCIS will grant the child conditional resident status.
If you are a conditional resident, you should file a Form I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, during the 90-day period before your two-year “anniversary” of being granted conditional resident status.[1] In other words, file during the 90-day window before your Form I-551, Permanent Resident Card, expires.
This is a guide to the I-751 process. Part 2 describes the requirements. And Part 3 describes the procedures.
2. Requirements for Removal of
the Conditions on Residency
A conditional resident’s status is, in effect, probationary. Conditional residents, while having the same rights and responsibilities of a permanent resident, obtain residency for only two years and must file an I-751 at the end of that two-year period in order to retain residency.
The purpose of the I-751 is to reconfirm that the marriage was valid at its inception. The I-751 is accompanied by evidence of the validity of the marriage. If upon reviewing the I-751 USCIS agrees that the marriage was valid, USCIS may then remove the conditions so that the conditional resident becomes a full permanent resident.[2] Conversely, USCIS may terminate the CR’s legal status if: (a) the marriage has ended in annulment or divorce, (b) USCIS believes that the marriage was fraudulent from its inception, or (c) the conditional resident fails to comply with the proper procedures to file the I-751.
For a marriage to be valid at inception, the parties must have intended at the time of the marriage to live together as husband and wife, not to enter into a sham marriage just for immigration purposes. While the parties’ intent at the moment of the marriage is controlling, evidence from beforehand or afterwards is important to shed light on intent. See below for a list of documents that may be helpful in proving good faith.
If the conditional resident’s relationship with the petitioning spouse has failed during the two-year conditional period, the joint filing requirement can be waived by USCIS if:
the marriage was entered into in good faith but has ended in divorce or annulment;
Waivers may be filed even after the 90-day filing window for jointly filed petitions.[3] These waivers are separate and independent and multiple grounds should be asserted where applicable.[4]
If the petitioning spouse dies during the two-year period, a joint petition is not required.[5] The CR must still establish that the marriage was legal where it took place and was not entered into solely for immigration purposes.
A request for the good faith marriage waiver cannot be submitted until the divorce or annulment is final.
Still, if parties have initiated legal separation or divorced proceedings, but have not completed them, USCIS may not deny a jointly filed petition solely because the spouses are separated and/or have initiated divorce or annulment proceedings.”[6] USCIS will give the CR 87 days to submit the divorce decree, in which case the petition will be treated as a good faith waiver petition.[7]
To obtain a waiver of the joint filing requirement on this basis, the CR must prove extreme hardship that occurred during the period of CR status. The case law is mixed as to whether this waiver can be granted if the marriage was not entered into in good faith.[8]
A waiver of the joint filing requirement is available if the qualifying marriage was entered in good faith but during the marriage the CR spouse or child (regardless of immigration status) was battered by or was the subject of extreme cruelty perpetrated by his or her U.S. citizen spouse and the CR was not at fault in failing to meet the joint petitioning requirements.[9] USCIS has defined this exception as including, but not limited to, “being the victim of any act or threatened act of violence, including any forceful detention which results or threatens to result in physical or mental injury. Psychological or sexual abuse or exploitation … shall be considered acts of violence.”[10]
The Form I-751 is filed by mail with the USCIS Service Center with jurisdiction over where the “applicant … live[s].”[11]
If the conditional resident is abroad temporarily, his or her U.S. residence remains unchanged, so the I-751 should be filed with the U.S. Service center with jurisdiction over that state.[12]
A jointly filed I-751 must be filed within the 90-day filing period described above. This period may be extended (“tolled”) if one spouse is a member of the Armed Forces in active-duty status.[13]
A jointly filed petition should be signed by the CR and spouse, and accompanied by supporting documentation confirming the validity of the marriage.[14]
Upon proper filing, CR status is extended automatically until such time as USCIS adjudicates the I-751.[15]
The foreign spouse’s conditional resident status is automatically terminated.[16]
The USCIS Service Center should route the case to a district office for issuance of a Notice to Appear, thereby initiating removal (deportation) proceedings.[17] But the USCIS Service Center will wait for 60 days after conditional residence status has expired to give the couple “a last chance” to file the I-751.[18]
A jointly filed I-751 that is filed late may be considered by USCIS only if the foreign spouse proves to the satisfaction of the USCIS adjudicator “good cause” for failure to file timely.[19] “The law provides for broad discretion as to what constitutes good cause. Some examples of what constitutes good cause may include, but are not limited to: hospitalization, long term illness, death of a family member, legal or financial problems, having to care for someone, bereavement, serious family emergency, and work commitment, or a family member on active duty with the U.S. military.”[20] Forgetting to file alone is not good cause, so explain the circumstances that caused any oversight, such as an illness or other traumatic event. It may also be helpful to explain what prompted the couple to subsequently remember the filing requirement. The adjudicator should take into account how late the filing was.[21] The explanation may be acceptable on its face, but the officer also may request corroborating evidence.[22] If the explanation and evidence in the record are insufficient to determine that there was “good cause” for failure to file timely, the officer may request additional evidence or schedule an interview.[23] If the officer decides that there is no good cause, the petition will be denied.[24]
If the jointly filed I-751 is filed prior to the jurisdiction vesting with the immigration judge in removal proceedings and the USCIS “excuses the late filing and approves the petition,” then USCIS “shall restore” the foreign spouse’s permanent residence status.[25]
During the period between when the 90-day filing window closes and when USCIS approves then restores permanent resident status, the foreign spouse has no lawful immigration status in the U.S. This is true even though the late filing of a joint I-751 will typically result in issuance of the same receipt as a timely-filed I-751, stating that conditional residence status is extended for one year. The receipt states, “This extension and authorization for employment and travel does not apply to you if your conditional resident status has been terminated.”[26]
Since the beneficiary of a late-filed joint I-751 has no lawful immigration status in the U.S., if she departs the U.S. while the late-filed I-751 is pending (or if she has filed the I-751 late while abroad), she is not eligible to return as a permanent resident unless and until that status is restored. Further, while in the U.S. she will accrue unlawful presence in the U.S. until such time as the I-751 is approved.[27] So if she incurs a single 180-day period of unlawful status then departs the U.S., she may be ineligible to return for 3 years unless the I-751 is approved. And if she has incurred a lifetime total of 365 days of unlawful status then departs the U.S., she may be ineligible to return for 10 years unless the I-751 is approved.[28]
There is no requirement that you be physically present in the U.S. at the time the I-751 is filed.[29]
But if your I-751 lists a foreign address, your case will be held by USCIS until you report that you have notified USCIS that you have moved back to the U.S. and a U.S. address is put into the system, at which point it will be moved into the processing queue.[30] The USCIS rationale for the “overseas hold” is that it may not be feasible for a CR living abroad to attend the required biometrics appointment and interview.[31]
To avoid the overseas hold, an applicant should be sure to list a U.S. address. It may be also be important for the I-751 to explain the reason the CR is overseas, demonstrate that CR status has not been abandoned,[32] state that the CR will attend the scheduled biometrics interview and appointment, and request that the case not be subject to the overseas hold.
Dependent children who became permanent residents within 90 days of the parent may be included in the joint petition. However, all dependents included in the petition must pay a separate biometrics fee. Dependent children who cannot be included in the joint petition because they did not immigrate within 90 days of the parent or because of the death of the parent may file a separate petition.[33]
Filing fee for I-751: $505
Evidence that the marriage was not entered into for the purpose of evading the immigration laws of the United States. Documents which may be submitted include but are not limited to: (1) joint ownership of property, (2) joint tenancy of a common residence, (3) commingling of financial resources, (4) birth certificates for children born of the marriage, and (5) affidavits of persons having knowledge of the bona fide marital relationship.[34]
Criminal history records if you have ever inside or outside the U.S. been arrested or detained by any law enforcement officer, whether or not charges were filed, or been convicted or placed in an alternative sentencing program or rehabilitation program.[35]
In recognition of the lengthy delays in obtaining a decision on an Form I-751, Petition to Remove the Conditions on Residence, USCIS issues a filing receipt (in duplicate to the lawyer and conditional resident) that extends the conditional resident’s status for a full year beyond the date shown on the I-551. The receipt, accompanied by the I-551 and an unexpired foreign passport, is valid for entry to the U.S. following travel abroad. Also, the receipt, accompanied by the expired I-551, is evidence of employment authorization in the United States which can be provided to an employer for purposes of proving eligibility to work. If USCIS does not adjudicate the I-751 within that year, USCIS is supposed to expedite adjudication of the case.
The status of an I-751 can be tracked online at www.uscis.gov . You also have an option to sign up for email or SMS status updates. Please note that for I-751s, USCIS tracks cases by the “application number” shown on the biometrics appointment notice, not by the “receipt number” shown on the receipt notice (which if tracked just shows “your case cannot be found”). Also please note that the I-751 will be shown in the system as a “CRI89 Petition to Remove Conditions of Permanent Residence.”
You will receive an appointment notice to visit a USCIS Application Support Center after you have filed Form I-751 to have your biometrics (photo, signature, fingerprints) electronically captured.[36]
The USCIS regional center where the I-751 is filed may in its discretion waive the interview. USCIS will do so if satisfied based on the evidence filed with your I-751 that your marriage was entered into in good faith.[37] (This is especially true for spouses of active U.S. military personnel stationed overseas). This is an important reason to file a complete and well-prepared I-751 package.
Otherwise, your I-751 will be forwarded to a local USCIS office and you will receive a notice requiring appearance at a local USCIS office for an interview. (It’s technically possible for the local office to decide to waive the interview too.[38]) Failure to attend the interview may result in termination of the conditional resident’s status and the commencement of removal (i.e., deportation) proceedings.
To be admitted to the U.S. during the period after the I-551 has expired and before the I-751 is adjudicated, you should carry your passport, expired I-551, and the unexpired I-751 receipt issued by USCIS.
The “grounds of inadmissibility” apply, just as they do for any permanent resident seeking to enter the U.S. In other words, exercise caution before leaving the U.S. because upon return you may be referred by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at the airport (or other port of entry) to an Immigration Judge for a removal (deportation) hearing if the officer determines you are subject to removal, such as for having committed a crime, having abandoned your permanent resident status by making non-temporary trips abroad, etc.[39]
If you are living abroad temporarily, you should consider the utility of applying for a reentry permit to avoid a determination by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspecting officer at the port of entry that you are inadmissible on the basis of having abandoned your CR status.
Finally, if the I-751 is denied while you are abroad, you may have trouble getting back in and may be referred to an Immigration Judge for removal a removal hearing.
As mentioned above, in recognition of the lengthy delays in obtaining a decision on a Form I-751, USCIS issues a Form I-797 filing receipt that extends a conditional resident’s status for a full year beyond the date shown on the I-551. If the I-751 is still pending after that year has passed, then the applicant should obtain additional evidence of CR status.
Take the I-797 receipt, the I-551 card, and an unexpired passport to the local USCIS district office to request a new stamp in the passport to indicate extension of conditional resident status for an additional year.[40] You may be required to make an appointment using the USCIS InfoPass system.
You may file a Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, notwithstanding the fact that your I-751 filing period has not started and notwithstanding the fact that your I-751 has not yet been filed or is pending.[41] If you have already filed your I-751, notify the USCIS office handling your naturalization case so that the I-751 can be adjudicated at the same time as the naturalization application.[42]
A key requirement for naturalization is the continuous residence requirement. For most naturalization applicants, the requirement is that you have resided in the U.S. continuously for 4 years and 9 months after gaining CR or LPR status. However, that requirement is reduced to 2 years and 9 months if during that period you have lived in the U.S. with your citizen spouse. There is also a special provision allowing expedited naturalization with no continuous residence requirement for spouses of U.S. citizens employed abroad by U.S. companies or their subsidiaries.
If USCIS approves the I-751, it will send the conditional resident notice of that fact. In the alternative, the Service Center or local USCIS office may issue a written request for additional evidence.[43] Failure to respond would lead to a denial due to abandonment.
In the event that USCIS intends to deny a jointly filed I-751, USCIS must first inform the conditional resident of its intention and of any derogatory evidence upon which its negative conclusions are based. The couple may then submit rebuttal evidence, which USCIS must consider.
If USCIS ultimately denies the I-751, it will give the conditional resident written notice of the grounds for the denial, with instructions to surrender their permanent resident card. CR status terminates as of the date of the denial.[44]
There is no appeal from a denial,[45] although a motion to reopen may be possible. Following a denial, USCIS may then initiate removal proceedings. In such proceedings, the Department of Homeland Security bears the burden of proof that the marriage was not entered into in good faith, but the noncitizen bears the burden of showing eligibility for a waiver or other discretionary relief.[46]
Upon approval of the I-751, the conditional resident becomes a full permanent resident. USCIS will manufacture the I-551 (i.e., “green card”). It will be mailed to you at the address shown on the I-751. This must be a U.S. address.[47]
When you get the new card, review it carefully to ensure all data on the card is accurate. In particular, please note:
1. Under the word “Category,” your old card should have read CR1, CR2, CR6, or CR7. In the new card, the letters CR (conditional resident) should have been changed to IR (immediate relative).
2. Permanent resident status lasts indefinitely. Nonetheless, the new card itself will expire and need to be renewed if you do not apply for naturalization and become a U.S. citizen beforehand:
In the unlikely event that you do not receive the card within about 4 weeks after the I-751 is approved, feel free to contact our firm so that we can follow up with USCIS on your behalf. In addition, when you receive the card, please send us a copy for your file.
Approval of the I-751 releases the applicant from conditional to full permanent resident status. Other rights and obligations as a permanent resident remain the same. Please see our article, “Rights and Obligations of Lawful Permanent Residents” ( http://lawandborder.com/?p=2134 ), for more information about topics such as:
More specifically, USCIS shall determine whether: (a) the marriage was entered into in accordance with the laws of the place where the marriage took place; (b) the qualifying marriage has been annulled or terminated (other than through death of the spouse); (c) the marriage was entered into for the purpose of procuring permanent resident status for the alien; and (d) A fee or other consideration was provided (other than to an attorney) in connection with the petition through which the alien obtained conditional permanent residency. INA § 216(d)(1); 8 C.F.R. § 216.4(c). ↑
Matter of Stowers, 22 I. Y& N. Dec. 605 (BIA 1999). But if a jointly filed petition is denied, an extreme hardship waiver cannot be filed. Vasquez v. Holder, 602 F.3d 1003, 1008-19 (9th Cir. 2010) ↑
Memo, Neufeld, Acting Assoc. Director, USCIS, I-751 Filed Prior to Termination of Marriage (Apr. 3, 2009) at 2, published on AILA InfoNet at Doc. No. 09072166. ↑
Waggoner v. Gonzales, 488 F.3d 632, 634–38 (5th Cir. 2007) (good faith not required); Singh v. Holder, 591 F.3d 1190, 1197–99 (9th Cir. 2010) (implies that good faith not required). But see Velazquez v. INS, 876 F.Supp.1071, 1075–78 (D. Minn. 1995) (cannot use provision to waive sham marriage). ↑
USCIS, I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence (May 5, 2015), http://www.uscis.gov/i-751. ) ↑
See AILA-SCOPS Q&A (Sept. 17, 2008), AILA Infonet Doc. 08092369 (If the conditional resident is abroad, the I-751 “should be filed with the Service Center having jurisdiction over the … last place of residence in the U.S.” ↑
It has been argued that USCIS acceptance of a late-filed joint I-751 restores the foreign spouse’s conditional residence status. See e.g. Michael E. Piston, Why You Don’t Dare Go Home Again—The Insidious Impact of Unlawful Presence, Immigration & Nationality Law Handbook 523 (2009-10 ed.). This argument relies on 8 C.F.R. § 216.4(a), which states in part that “Upon receipt of a properly filed Form I-751, the alien’s conditional permanent resident status shall be extended automatically, if necessary, until such time as the director has adjudicated the petition.” The term “proper filing” refers to the requirements to file the correct form, sign it, pay the fees, and include the required initial evidence, but not the timeliness requirement. See 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(a)(7)(i). The problem with this argument is that it contradicts the clear rule in 8 C.F.R. § 216.4(a)(6) that conditional resident status is only “restored” once the late filing is excused and the petition is approved. ↑
INS Memorandum, P. Virtue, “Section 212(a)(9)(b) Relating to Unlawful Presence” (Sept. 19, 1997), published on AILA InfoNet at Doc. No. 97092240 (posted Sept. 19, 1997) (When permanent resident status “has been restored, the alien will not be considered to have accrued any periods of unlawful presence.”); AFM ch. 30.1(d). ↑
USCIS, Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, http://snipurl.com/1t5tuast , last visited Nov. 5, 2007; 8 CFR §216.4(a)(4) (“A petition may be filed regardless of whether the alien is physically present in the United States. However, if the alien is outside the United States at the time of filing, he or she must return to the United States, with his or her spouse and dependent children, to comply with the interview requirements contained in the Act. Furthermore, if the documentation submitted in support of the petition includes affidavits of third parties having knowledge of the bona fides of the marital relationship, the petitioner must arrange for the affiants to be present at the interview, at no expense to the government. Once the petition has been properly filed, the alien may travel outside the United States and return if in possession of documentation as set forth in § 211.1(b)(1) of this chapter, provided the alien and the petitioning spouse comply with the interview requirements described in § 216.4(b). An alien who is not physically present in the United States during the filing period but subsequently applies for admission to the United States shall be processed in accordance with § 235.11 of this chapter [re: admission of CRs].”) ↑
AFM 25.1(g)(4)(C). For military cases, there is an exception to the “overseas hold.” You must have a valid APO or FPO address. See also AILA-SCOPS Q & A September 17, 2008; Report of ISD Teleconference, AILA InfoNet Doc. No. 00101702 (posted Oct. 17, 2000) (“In response to our question regarding I-751 cases where a foreign address is provided by the petitioner and beneficiary and the petition is automatically placed on an overseas hold, INS has stated that if a U.S. address is listed on the form (c/o another party), INS will be able to adjudicate the I-751. Therefore, members are advised to file all I-751 petitions that they don’t want placed on an overseas hold with a U.S. address.”). ↑
USCIS American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Meeting, March 19, 2009 at p.6-7. (“Petitions that indicate that the CR is temporarily overseas, but not on government/military orders, are reviewed for information concerning the reason they are overseas and when they intend to return to the U.S. I-751 petitions require ten-print fingerprints as well as biometrics and identity verification. Once the biometric requirement is met, an officer will review the application for eligibility. If the CR is deemed eligible for removal of conditions, an I-551 card will be issued; all I-551 cards must be mailed to a U.S. address provided by the CR. If the CR does not comply with the biometric requirement, the petition will be denied in accordance with 8 CFR §103.2(b)(13)(ii)). ↑
See generally, Gary Chodorow, Top 10 List: How to Document Your Valid Relationship for Immigration Purposes (Oct. 8, 2009), http://lawandborder.com/?p=602 . ↑
8 C.F.R. § 216.4(b)(1) (2007); USCIS, Removing Conditions on Permanent Residence Based on Marriage, http://snipurl.com/1t5tuast, last visited Nov. 5, 2007. ↑
See generally Gary Chodorow, Ground of Inadmissibility under U.S. Immigration Law, http://lawandborder.com/grounds-of-inadmissibility/ . ↑
William R. Yates, Acting Assoc. Director for Operations, BCIS, Extension of Status for Conditional Residents with Pending Forms I-751, Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence, Dec. 2, 2003, AILA Infonet Doc. No. 03120940; Questions and Answers: USCIS Field Operations Directorate-AILA Liaison Meeting, October 25, 2011, AILA Infonet Doc No. 12011061. ↑
USCIS Honolulu, Naturalization FAQ Sheet for Spouse of a U.S. Citizen Regularly Stationed Abroad: The Honolulu Process (May 10, 2004), http://tokyo.usembassy.gov/pdfs/wwwf319b.pdf . ↑
Previous PostPrevious Chinese Arrested in U.S. Marriage Fraud Scheme
Next PostNext China’s Failure to Repatriate U.S. Deportees Jeopardizes 10-Year Visitor Visa Deal