Can You Get A Green Card If Your Spouse Has A Criminal Record?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Can you get a green card if your spouse has a criminal record? Under U.S. immigration law,

only convictions for certain “offenses against a minor” will automatically disqualify a U.S. citizen from sponsoring a spouse for a green card

.

Can you get a green card through marriage with a criminal record?


It is up to the discretion of the immigration officers to determine if your criminal history is worth making you inadmissible or not

. Even a misdemeanor may lead to your marriage-based green card being denied if your petition lacks clarity.

Can I sponsor someone’s green card application if I have a criminal record?

There’s one major exception, however. Under the Adam-Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (the “Adam Walsh Act”)

U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who have certain criminal convictions cannot petition for family members to receive U.S. residence (green cards).

What disqualifies you from sponsoring an immigrant?

Under immigration law,

convictions involving offenses against minors

disqualify you from sponsoring a green card application. Some of these offenses include: A sex offense against a minor. Production, possession, or distribution of child pornography.

Can a U.S. citizen with a felony marry an immigrant?

Marrying an Undocumented Immigrant with a Felony


A variety of criminal offenses can be grounds for inadmissibility

. Any person with past arrests or immigration violations should speak to an immigration attorney before submitting any USCIS form.

What crimes make you ineligible for green card?


Crimes Involving Illegal Drugs

Even low-level possession charges can affect your immigration case, and certainly drug trafficking convictions will – so if you have any drug-related crimes on your criminal record, you should consult with an immigration attorney to find out whether they make you inadmissible.

Does criminal record affect citizenship?


A crime or other unlawful act on your record can block eligibility for naturalization

.

Can I sponsor my wife with a criminal record?

If you intend on sponsoring your spouse and your spouse is considered to be inadmissible based on criminality,

your spouse will need to first overcome this criminality before she can be considered eligible for permanent residence

.

What does green card background check include?

USCIS conducts an investigation of the applicant upon his or her filing for naturalization. The investigation consists of certain criminal background and security checks. The background and security checks include

collecting fingerprints and requesting a “name check” from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)

.

Does misdemeanor affect green card?

What Can Misdemeanors Affect?

Misdemeanors can effect your visa eligibility or green card

. This is because some misdemeanors may involve crimes of moral turpitude (CMT). CMTs involve fraud, violence, or moral depravity.

Why would a marriage green card be denied?

Certain medical issues.


If the spouse seeking a green card has a communicable disease, a mental illness, or a history of drug abuse

, he or she could be ineligible for a green card.

What happens when you marry a felon?


The convicted felon can use his or her own conviction and imprisonment to obtain a divorce

. Another implication of marriage to a felon is the extent to which the fact of the conviction can become an issue in child custody proceedings.

Does USCIS do background check on petition?


Anyone who wants to immigrate to the U.S. has to go through the background check process

. This is a requirement, regardless of your age, ethnicity, national origin, or religion. It includes applications such as an adjustment of status with Form I-485 and an application for naturalization.

What crimes prevent you from entering US?

Crimes against the person such as

murder, manslaughter, rape, gross indecency, serious assaults, kidnapping

. Crimes against property such as arson, burglary, theft, robbery, fraud, receiving stolen property. Crimes against government authority such as benefit fraud, tax evasion, bribery, perjury.

What makes you inadmissible for green card?

The general categories of inadmissibility include health, criminal activity, national security, public charge, lack of labor certification (if required), fraud and misrepresentation, prior removals, unlawful presence in the United States, and several miscellaneous categories.

Does USCIS know everything about you?

The simple answer, of course, is that it is impossible to know whether USCIS knows if an applicant for a green card or for naturalization is lying to them. The safe assumption is that

they DO know everything about you

and that, if you lie in the interview, you will be caught.

What is FBI name check for green card?

The FBI name check is

a name and date of birth vetting system

. Currently, USCIS only uses this form of vetting for seven or eight benefit types. However, the investigative check is based on the name and date of birth provided by the applicant or petitioner.

Does Uscis do background check on beneficiary?


Both the US sponsor as well as the alien beneficiary will receive separate background checks

.

Can a felon sponsor a fiance visa?

Under the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,

any person convicted of a felony sex crime involving children is ineligible to petition a foreigner to immigrate to the United States, including on a K-1 visa

.

Does USCIS check your text messages?


It doesn’t

. The best strategy is simply to assume that anything you post online will be seen and examined by immigration authorities. Some immigration attorneys may even recommend that you refrain from social media use entirely while your visa or green card application is pending.

Does USCIS check your Facebook?

They look throughout the internet, for information about the people that are applying for benefits. Don’t just think that because USCIS officials said in Washington, that

they don’t check social media

, that they don’t in fact.

Can you become a U.S. citizen with a misdemeanor?

For example, many people believe that if a crime is “just a misdemeanor,” it won’t affect the person’s immigration status. But

a crime that’s called a misdemeanor in one state might be classified as a felony or even an aggravated felony under the federal immigration laws, or perhaps as a crime of moral turpitude

.

Can I get a US work visa with a criminal record?

Arrest, Caution, Conviction


In cases where an arrest resulted in a conviction, you may be permanently ineligible to receive a visa

and will require a waiver ineligibility to travel to the United States. The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act does not apply to United States visa law.

What percentage of marriage Green Cards are denied?

Marriage-based green card denials constitute

nearly 50%

of this total. Many USCIS denials can be countered with either a new application, properly prepared, or motions to reopen or reconsider due to government miscues.

How does immigration investigate marriage?

Usually, the USCIS officers may visit the suspect couple at their residence, or visit their neighbors to investigate whether they reside together, share a household, or own property jointly, etc. The USCIS officers may also arrange interviews with the couple at their residence or at USCIS offices.

What should you not say in an immigration interview?

THE DON’Ts. DON’T joke around with the USCIS officer. In particular,

avoid joking or sarcasm related to drug dealing, communicable diseases, bigamy, or smuggling people into the country

. DON’T argue with your spouse or other family members in the middle of an interview.

Can a felon get a passport?

According to USA Today,

most felons can get a passport without a problem

. This is assuming a person is not currently awaiting trial, on probation or parole or otherwise banned from leaving the country.

Can a felon be around my child?


Your attorney may be able to obtain an emergency custody order if evidence shows the felon is prohibited under § 18.2-370.2 from even being around children

. More likely, your attorney will present evidence to the court that the felon’s behavior, words, and actions toward your children are not in their best interests.

Can 2 felons be around each other?

Does misdemeanor affect green card?

What Can Misdemeanors Affect?

Misdemeanors can effect your visa eligibility or green card

. This is because some misdemeanors may involve crimes of moral turpitude (CMT). CMTs involve fraud, violence, or moral depravity.

What does immigration background check include?

A.

The background and security checks include

collecting fingerprints and requesting a “name check” from the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)

. In addition, USCIS conducts other inter-agency criminal background and security checks on all applicants for naturalization.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.