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Can A Felon Marry An Immigrant?

can felons marry an immigrant

Reestablishing lives upon release is a difficult task for a felon. Family and friends are supportive. There may be a situation where felons have either been divorced or not married. This can make felons feel lonely and give a rise to the desire of finding someone for marriage.

This article discusses the following:

1 Felons meet their new spouse

2 Felons become a permanent resident

3 Felons sponsor their fiancée

4 Support felons to marry immigrants

Felons Meet Their New Spouse

Felons can meet many people while they are in prison. They may also meet a new person upon their release. Spending time together allows them to know each other better, love blossoms between them. A situation may arise where felons fall in love with immigrants born in a different country who are new to the USA.

These immigrants want to remain in the country. If there is a possibility that an immigrant can stay in the country and marry someone, a felon can become a resident in the country.

Read more: Can a Felon Qualify for a Pell Grant?

Felons Become a Permanent Resident

1 People who enter the US and plan to stay in the country for 90 days or more require a visa to do so.

2 There are many situations in which people from different countries come to the US to reside there.

3 The US authorities grant residency to only a few people each year.

4 People who wish to reside in the US must apply for a green card to complete their wish to stay.

5 The green card permits people to live in the USA. Green card has a limitation; it permits only a few immigrants to stay in the country.

can the felons marry an imigrant

6 Several factors are applicable for a Green card, felons who are planning to marry a US citizen require a visa called K1. This is a non – immigrant visa that permits a person born in a different country to remain in the country for 90 days after the marriage.

7 After marriage felons need to apply for a status change in the permit. The Green card acts as a permanent status leader.

Sponsoring Their Fiancée

Assisting immigrants in applying for a permanent status visa which is a Green card is known as sponsorship. Immigrants can qualify for a K 1 visa only if they marry a US citizen. This condition doesn’t work with people who have permanent residency.  Both people in the relationship must be eligible for marriage, this means should be of legal age and single. This condition depends on the particular state and its laws. There must be a genuine intention to marry.

Felons must have all possible documents to support their marriage. The courtship period for marriage must be at least 1 or 2 years. Felons can meet someone during their time spent at the prison. Background verification is compulsory for both felons and the immigrant they marry. According to US law, felons have a legal right to marry an immigrant.

can felon marry a imigrant

Felons find it difficult to acquire a green card because of their criminal history. Immigrants must abide by the laws related to green cards. Immigrants with felony records lose their green card and permanent resident status. The authorities deport felons in case of serious offenses.

Certain criminal offenses deny access to green cards. These include:

  • Fraud
  • Child abuse
  • Rape
  • Murder

Criminal records and active legal cases act against the felon to get a green card or apply for permanent citizenship. Legal counsel is a mandatory requirement to complete this process.

Marriage is an attractive opportunity to restart their lives on release, felons and immigrants both must be careful while entering this relationship as both can land up in prison due to the laws not being followed. Felons should be protective about committing crimes to protect their partner.

Support Felons to Marry Immigrants

Find someone you love and marry is an important aspect for returning towards a healthy lifestyle in society. Families and friends must be supportive at each step to find peace through a relationship. Honesty is an integral part of developing a good relationship in marriage to ensure felons do not go back to prison. You should not get blinded in love and commit crimes. You must avoid any mistakes which can send you to jail.

Crimes That Make Marriage-Based Green Card Inadmissible

A green card application for marriage has a section to fill all details truthfully regarding criminal history. Heinous crimes lead to rejection of marriage application. Felons who commit crimes such as fraud or physically harm another person, cause the green card application to get rejected. This makes felons lose an opportunity to marry an immigrant and reestablish their lives.

can felon marry imigrant

Crimes that deny a Green Card include:

  • Sexual Abuse and Murder of a minor
  • Trafficking of Arms and Ammunitions
  • Thefts and Violence during imprisonment
  • Money Laundering
  • Pornographic films of children
  • Bribery
  • Human Trafficking
  • Torture
  • Violence related to religion
  • Criminal history causes your marriage-based green card to get canceled.
  • Prostitution and crimes involving drug peddling lead to the cancellation of the marriage application.

How to File Record Waiver to Waive a Criminal Record?

Marriage applicants can file for a record waiver application to ensure during background verification check, their criminal record comes clean. Criminal history requires a waiver so that applicants become eligible to apply for marriage application and permanent residency so that they can marry immigrants easily. It allows felons to reestablish their lives for healthy living. This form increases the possibility of legal marriages between felons and immigrants.

Bottom Line

It is difficult for felons to marry immigrants without a clear criminal history. The authorities follow certain guidelines when processing marriage applications for permanent residency. Immigrants and felons must follow all legal requirements to get married and start a new family. The support received from family and friends helps felons to restart a new life with new hopes.

In the USA, guidelines for seeking a sponsorship to marry a US citizen must be followed so that felons do not go back to prison again. Felons who have committed serious crimes are not allowed to become US citizens or sponsor an immigrant to marry.

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