British Expatriate Network

hello everyone
i need some advice,
i am a ten year green card holder and have had a very stormy relationship with my american wife
in 2004 after a fight she had me arrested for domestic violence,
i pled not guilty and at the court hearing she did not wish to pursue the charges, the case was eventually dismissed and i had the offence expunged from my record,
again in 2007 she had me arrested, she did not wish to pursue and the case was dismissed, i was ordered to attend anger managment , which i did , and i never returned to her, (i might add that the was no guilty plea or conviction in either case)
we have now been separated for over 1 year,
i have been supporting her financially during this time, giving her one half to two thirds of my weekly income, i recently informed her that i wished to seek a divorce from her , she then told me that i came to the USA just to get here and that she has informed immigration that it is/was a bogus marriage and that she will do her best to get me deported,
can she deport me?
will immigration take any notice of her claims?
and if so what are my options?
i thank you in advance for any help you can give me

I would say find an immigration lawyer for this one. Also, apply for citizenship as soon as possible. There is no fear of deportation if you're a citizen.

I would also hold off on the divorce until you get the immigration advice from a lawyer and apply for citizenship.

Try this
http//www.hooyou.com/divorce/aftergc.html

Surely you have already "proved" that you married her for the right reasons to get your ten year Permanent Resident card? They are usually made provisional for the first two years, which tends to highlight who is married for love and who is married just for the benefits of residency.

When you apply to have the provisions removed is when the Immigration Authorities look at the evidence you submit and then make a decision on whether to remove the provisions without further investigation or decide to interview you and/or your wife.

I would simply gather together as much evidence as you can, which proves you were married, lived together and shared a life for a period of time, as well as taking Adeshell's advice and applying for citizenship ASAP.

Your wife is being a bit ignorant - she doesn't have the power to have you deported and from personal experience, the Immigration authorities are well aware that occasionally during the breakdown of marriages between citizens and immigrants, this threat is used as some kind of weapon. So long as the immigrant came here for the right reasons and can prove it, they have nothing to worry about so collect any documents that show you lived together, paid bills together, had rental agreements or a mortgage together, photos of you, letters to each other etc. and I would think you will be fine if it comes down to it.

Surely if you have a 10-year green card, it's no longer conditional on your marriage?

you're a permanent resident.

nothing she can do in all reality......

Brit0151,

Yes, getting your American Citizenship is the best thing to do right now.
Where are you living?
I ask because different areas of America have different time frames for obtaining your Citizenship.
For instance, I was living in Houston, Texas in 2006, and decided to apply for my Citizenship...
I was told at the interview that there was a huge back-log of applications, and that I was looking at a waiting period of three years to get it.??
I didn't want to wait that long, and as I had been planning to move to the East Coast, I made inquiries, and found out that if I applied in Boston, Massachusetts, it would only take 6 to8 months.
Well, to cut a long story short, I moved here in late 2007, turned in the paperwork in February of 2008, and I am due to appear in Springfield in two weeks to take the Oath.
You should definately take the time to check this out via the Internet..
It seems that time is of the essence in your case..although I have a feeling you will be okay..
As they say...'Hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned'...

Good Luck !