Conditional greencard

I met my partner five years ago. I’m from Spain, but I came to the U.S. as an au pair for a two-year program. I was supposed to go back to Spain after my program ended, but I met my partner while I was here, and things worked out between us, so we decided to stay together.
We got married after three years of dating. About a year after we got married, I found out that he had cheated on me several times. I also found out that he has issues with drug addiction.
I currently have a conditional green card, which I received about a year ago, so I have about one more year before I would normally apply to remove the conditions and get my 10-year green card.
I’m planning to divorce. We are still trying to work through everything, but honestly, I don’t think the relationship is going to work out.
What makes this especially scary for me is that I’ve invested so much into building my life here. I’m currently studying and spending quite a bit of money on my education, and I’m also trying to save enough money for my dietetic internship. The internship will last around seven months, during which I likely won’t be able to work, and it will actually cost me money to complete.
I also work as a nutritionist for the WIC program, which is a government program, so I feel like I have established a career and a life here.
I know that I can potentially apply for the 10-year green card through a waiver if I divorce, as long as I can prove that my marriage was entered into in good faith. I’m not worried about proving that the relationship was real. But I’m still scared because you never know how these cases will go, especially with the current administration and how immigration policies can change.
I guess I’m looking for reassurance from people who have been through something similar. Has anyone divorced while having a conditional green card and successfully gotten their 10-year green card through the divorce waiver? How difficult was the process?

Posted Sep 12, 2026, 2:24 AM UTC

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