James C. Tai, Attorney at Law

Under INA § 240A(a),the Attorney General may cancel the removal of a non-citizen and allow the non-citizen to remain as a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The relief of cancellation under INA § 240A(a) applies to eligible non-citizens placed in removal proceedings on or after April 1, 1997.

Under§ 240A(a), an LPR must (1) have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence for not less than five years[*1], (2) have resided in the United States continuously for seven years after having been admitted in any status[*2], and (3) not have been convicted of any aggravated felony.

INA § 240A(d), also known as the “stop-time” rule, defines when continuous residence or continuous physical presence ends. It states that continuous residence ends at the moment the non-citizen commits certain acts or crimes or is served with a Notice to Appear (NTA) for removal proceedings before an Immigration Judge. Specifically, the time stops accruing

(A) when the alien is served a notice to appear under section 239(a), or

(B) when the alien has committed an offense[*3] referred to in section 212(a)(2) that renders the alien inadmissible to the United States under section 212(a)(2) or removable from the United States under section 237(a)(2) or 237(a)(4), whichever is earliest.

*1 The accrual of the 5 years of permanent resident status is not subject to the stop-time rule.

*2 Admitted in any status – start to count from date of first legal admission. (example… if respondent entered without inspection, and later adjust status (e.g. NACARA, Haitian Refugee, etc), the date to start calculating the 7 year continuance residence is at the date of adjustment, not at the time of initial entry.

*3  Matter of Jurado, 24 I&N Dec. 29 (BIA 2006) (an alien need not be charged and found inadmissible or removable on a ground specified in section 240A(d)(1)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act in order for the alleged criminal conduct (conviction of the crime) to terminate the alien’s continuous residence in this country).

*4 
INA 212(a)(2) Criminal and related grounds 

(A) Conviction of certain crimes

(I) a crime involving moral turpitude (other than a purely political offense) or an attempt or conspiracy to commit such a crime, or

(II) a violation of (or a conspiracy or attempt to violate) any law or regulation of a State, the United States, or a foreign country relating to a controlled substance (as defined in section 802 of title 21),  is inadmissible.

(B) Multiple criminal convictions

(C) Controlled substance traffickers

(D) Prostitution and commercialized vice

(E) Certain aliens involved in serious criminal activity who have asserted immunity from prosecution

(F) Waiver authorized

(G) Foreign government officials who have committed particularly severe violations of religious freedom

(H) Significant traffickers in persons

(I) Money laundering

*5 
INA 237(a)(2) Criminal offenses

(A) General crimes

(i) Crimes of moral turpitude Any alien who

(I) is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude committed within five years (or 10 years in the case of an alien provided lawful permanent resident status under section 1255 (j) of this title) after the date of admission, and

(II) is convicted of a crime for which a sentence of one year or longer may be imposed,

 is deportable.

(ii) Multiple criminal convictions CIMT

(iii) Aggravated felony 

(iv) High speed flight 

(v) Failure to register as a sex offender 

(B) Controlled substances (other than a single offense involving possession for one’s own use of 30 grams or less of marijuana)

(C) Certain firearm offenses

(D) Miscellaneous crimes

Any alien who at any time has been convicted (the judgment on such conviction becoming final) of, or has been so convicted of a conspiracy or attempt to violate--

(i) relating to espionage, relating to sabotage, treason and sedition for which a term imprisonment of five or more years may be imposed;

(ii) any offense under section 871 or 960 of title 18;

(iii) a violation of any provision of the Military Selective Service Act (50 App. U.S.C.451 et seq.) or the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 App. U.S.C. 1 et seq.); or

(iv) a violation of section 1185 or 1328 of this title,

is deportable.

(E) Crimes of domestic violence, stalking, or violation of protection order, crimes against children and

(i) Domestic violence, stalking, and child abuse 

(ii) Violators of protection orders 

(F) Trafficking (persons)

*6 
INA 237(a)(4) Security and related grounds

(A) In general

Any alien who has engaged, is engaged, or at any time after admission engages in--

(i) any activity to violate any law of the United States relating to espionage or sabotage or to violate or evade any law prohibiting the export from the United States of goods, technology, or sensitive information,

(ii) any other criminal activity which endangers public safety or national security, or

(iii) any activity a purpose of which is the opposition to, or the control or overthrow of, the Government of the United States by force, violence, or other unlawful means,

is deportable.

     Recent immigration court rulings have held that Fla. Stat. 812.014(2)(c)(1) [grand theft] (petty theft included) is not a crime involving moral turpitude (CIMT), if the record of conviction (modified categorical approach) can not establish whether Respondent was convicted for temporary or permanent deprivation and appropriation. Further, retail theft (shoplifting) under Fla. Stat. 812.014 is not a CIMT and that Matter of Jurado-Degado 24 I&N Dec. 29, 33 (BIA 2006) is not applicable to the Florida statute. 

 If the respondent is only removable/inadmissible for the Fla. theft offense, termination of the case may be appropriate. 

      Further, these Fla. theft charges should not trigger stop-time rule for cancellation of removal purposes, and may not constitute aggravated felonies (even if 1 year of imprisonment). 

    See attached file for sample motion to terminate. 

1. Purpose of the I-751

When a Green Card applicant has been married for less than 2 years, the applicant is initially issued a Conditional Green Card, which is good for 2 years. Just before the expiration of the conditional period, the I-751 is filed to apply for a permanent Green Card (which is good for 10 years). The purpose of the I-751 is to reaffirm that the initial marriage took place in good faith.

2. When to file

The I-751 must be filed with USCIS within 90 days prior to the 2-year anniversary of
the issuance of the conditional Green Card.

3. Filing Jointly vs. Filing Single

When you are still married to the same person you were married to at the time of the issuance of the conditional Green Card, you will file the I-751 jointly.

You will file as a single person in the following cases:

a. You entered the marriage in good faith and your spouse has died;

b. You entered the marriage in good faith and you are now divorced from the person to whom you were married at the time of the issuance of the initial Green Card (even if you’re now remarried to someone else, you will file as single);

c. You entered the marriage in good faith and you have been battered or subject to extreme cruelty by your petitioning spouse;

d. Your parent was a conditional resident who entered into the marriage in good faith, but you have been battered or subject to extreme cruelty by your parent’s U.S. citizen or permanent resident spouse or by your conditional resident parent; or

e . The termination of your status would result in extreme hardship to you or a dependent child.

4. Standard for the I-751: Good Faith Marriage (see Matter of Soriano)

To determine whether a marriage was entered into ‘in good faith,’ “[t]he central question is whether the bride and groom intended to establish a life together at the time they were married.” See Bark v. INS, 511 F.2d 1200 (9th Cir. 1975).

To establish ‘good faith’, the court will consider documents such as:

a. proof that the spouse has been listed as the beneficiary on the petitioner spouse’s life insurance policy;

b. documents showing joint ownership or joint responsibility (e.g. property leases)

c. documents showing a comingling of finances (e.g. tax returns, bank statements)

d. shared experiences

e. marriage ceremony

f. birth certificates of any children born as a result of the relationship

5. Common scenarios in which an I-751 matter would end up before an Immigration Judge

You never filed an I-751 (whether you’re still married or not)

a. If you were issued a temporary Green Card and never file the I-751 to remove
the conditions, you can be placed into removal proceedings for having no lawful status once the temporary Green Card has expired.

b. If this happens, you can still file the I-751 with USCIS and an Immigration
Judge (IJ) can either grant continuances on your removal proceedings while the I-751 is being decided, or the IJ can administratively close your case until
USCIS issues a decision on the I-751. If the case is administratively closed
until a decision is made on the I-751, the IJ would then re-calendar your case
to restart proceedings once USCIS has made its decision.

An I-751 was filed and denied by USCIS based on the merits.

a. The IJ will hold an individual hearing to review the decision of USCIS.

b. You would not be required to re-file the I-751 or pay a new filing fee.

• An I-751 was filed and denied by USCIS based on failure to attend interview.

a. The IJ will hold an individual hearing to decide whether to grant the I-751.

You would not be required to re-file the I-751 or pay a new filing fee.

• In all of the above scenarios, the I-751 can be filed jointly or separately. If not

filing jointly, the scrutiny is generally higher as to the good faith marriage.

Note: I-751 can still be filed if the immigrant spouse is now married to someone besides the spouse for which the conditional green card was obtained through. In that case, the immigrant spouse would apply as a single person because the I-751 is based on the
marriage under which the initial Green Card was issued.  

Client was granted withholding of removal under INA § 241(b)(3) by a non-detained immigration judge based on fears of persecution from South Korea due to his sexual orientation.

6 detained LPR cancellation of removal (42A) GRANTED.

9 non-detained LPR cancellation of removal (42A) GRANTED, including 1 INA 212 (c) GRANTED, and 1 INA 212(h) hardship waiver GRANTED. 

Assisted detained client to get married to a United States citizen fiance while being detained by ICE, then successfully filed and represented client before a detained immigration judge for adjustment of status with a INA 212(h) hardship waiver. GRANTED.