Legal Question in Immigration Law in New York

Re: important

If your spouse never filed on your behalf, your status has not changed. If you were "illegal," you still are "illegal." Marriage alone does not confer any immigration benefits. Once the divorce is final, though, you would generally not be eligible to adjust your status based on this marriage (which may have been a possible defense to removal proceedings had these been brought against you). Your spouse may notify the immigration authorities if she wishes but my understanding is that they rarely act on such letters. Of course, if you are detained for any other reason, you risk being deported. You should have consulted an immigration attorney before starting the divorce proceedings but it may not be too late to do so now.

The above reply is in the nature of general information, is not legal advice, and should not be relied on as such.