Individuals who obtain permanent residence (aka a green card) through marriage and were married for less than two years at the time the green card was granted have what is commonly known as a 2-year green card, or a conditional green card. Because the United States is concerned about immigration fraud, conditions are placed on permanent residence and a another petition, USCIS Form I-751, must be filed to remove the conditions. The petition must be filed in the 90 days preceding the expiration of your green card.
While this process is easiest if you're still married, it is sometimes possible to have the conditions removed even if you've divorced. Either way, you need to prove to immigration that the marriage was a real marriage, and not a sham marriage for immigration purposes. Typically, this is accomplished by proving joint residence, shared finances, and that friends and family know that you are (or were) married and support your marriage.
Evidence that supports joint residence includes: joint lease or joint homeownership, post-marked envelopes, utility bills, W-2's from employer, other official documents showing the address, letters from landlord or neighbors saying they see you both at the residence, etc.
Evidence that supports shared finances: joint bank accounts, joint credit cards, joint home or renters insurance, joint car titles, joint health insurance, joint income tax returns, etc
Evidence to show that friends and family know about your marriage: letters of support with personalized details, pictures of you and your spouse together with other people (please note these MUST be labeled or they won't be taken into account), pictures from your wedding or reception showing that people attended.
Other evidence that I typically recommend (if applicable): birth certificates of any children born to the marriage, evidence of parental relationship between step-parent and step-child.
One common mistake when gathering evidence is failure to prove the three main points (joint residence, shared finances, and that other people know about the relationship) throughout the time period. People will gather only recent bills, the most recent lease, etc. It is best to plan ahead and gather evidence from the time or marriage until the I-751 Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence is filed, but even if gathering all of the evidence just prior to filing the petition it is absolutely essential to submit proof spanning the entire marriage.
Individuals who divorce during the two year period can still file the I-751 Petition on their own, and must submit the same type of evidence to prove that the marriage was entered into in good faith, not just for immigration benefits. I do not recommend that anyone try this without an immigration lawyer.
Finally - if filing the I-751 Petition without assistance of a lawyer, ALWAYS consult an attorney if you receive a Notice of Intent to Deny or an RFE (request for evidence). Good luck!
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