Shackled by Her Condition: A Comparison of American and Canadian Spousal Sponsorships and Conditional Permanent Residency

Abstract

This paper analyzes the similarities and differences between Canadian conditional permanent resident status, which was recently repealed in 2017, and the current American approach to conditional lawful permanent residency. The paper engages in an analysis of how Canadian and American “permanent residency” status has often been shockingly temporary. The author argues that conditional permanent residency shackles immigrant women into abusive relationships while failing to adequately dissuade marriages of convenience or “sham” marriages.