What Is a Conditional Permanent Residence?
27 Mar 2023
If you recently came to the United States as the new spouse of a US citizen, you likely have conditional permanent residence. This residence
status allows you to enjoy the same benefits and services of US permanent residents, except that your permanent residence status expires in 2 years. As a conditional permanent resident, you need to make sure that you timely file the application to help you obtain your permanent green card. You may file the application as early as 90 days before your conditional green card expires. An experienced immigration lawyer can help you remove the “conditional” part of your "permanent” residence. At JCL Immigration Attorneys, PLLC, we have a competent immigration attorney in Scottsdale, AZ, ready to offer legal assistance on immigration matters.
What Is Conditional Permanent Residence?
It appears contradictory for the terms “conditional” and “permanent” to be together in conditional permanent residence. However, the “permanent” part means that you:
Enjoy the same rights and privileges of US permanent residents
You can reside anywhere in the country
You can pursue employment or work for any private employer in the US
The “conditional” part means that your green card or permanent resident expires in two years.
Who Is Eligible for Conditional Permanent Residence?
Among the top reasons people are granted conditional permanent residence in the US are marriage and entrepreneurship/investment.
In a marriage case, if by the time a marriage-based green card application is approved, the underlying marriage exists for less than two years, USCIS will issue the applicant only a 2-year conditional green card, so that the applicant is required to apply for his/her permanent green card in 2 years, providing evidence of the ongoing marital relationship.
In an EB-5 investment green card case, all applicants are issued a 2-year conditional green card. In 2 years, the applicant must apply for the permanent green card by providing evidence that the requisite amount of investment remained and that the requisite number of US jobs had been created.
If you are in Scottsdale, AZ, and planning to remove your “conditional” permanent residence, JCL Immigration Attorneys, PLLC, can provide professional legal assistance throughout the application process. Our legal experience will maximize the chances that the USCIS will approve your application. Contact us today for additional insights on applying for unconditional permanent residence from our top-notch immigration lawyer Scottsdale.
