90 Day Fiance weddings don’t always lead to happily ever after. There’s a whole spin-off on that topic, in fact. A new report looks into the question of what exactly happens when a 90 Day Fiance couple gets divorced. And will Larissa Lima’s bloody fight with Colt mean that she’ll be shipped back to Brazil? In the summer of 2018, 90 Day Fiance executive producer Fred Sharp made a boast. “Our batting average on this show is that out of every 25 couples on 90 Day Fiance , we’ve only had three divorces,” he announced. “That’s less than 10% and the current U.S. (divorce) rate is over 40%,” he stated. Three out of twenty-four is, for the record, 12%. Which is higher than 10%. “It’s one of the reasons why people love this show,” Sharp assessed. “It’s so unexpected.” Obviously, Season 6 had two couples file for divorce on the same day, and that barely scratches the surface. That may throw a wrench into the statistics, no matter what the percentages Regardless of that statement’s apparent struggles with simple mathematics, there’s a larger issue. The stakes for 90 Day Fiance couples are higher than they are when both parties are American citizens. Why? Because divorce means more than just financial woes, stress, custody fights, and general upheaval. For international couples, divorce can mean deportation. For example, let’s look at Colt Johnson and Larissa Lima. After their terrifying fight earlier this month, Colt filed for divorce. Even while Larissa’s face was smeared in her own blood, she tearfully confessed to fans that she feared what this would mean. “I’ll be deported…I just scratch him because he was hurt me,” Larissa lamented. “I’m really hurt, but he called the police first.” As sympathetic as Larissa may have been in that video, this was the third time that police were called to address alleged domestic battery for that couple. Do three arrests and a divorce automatically lead to deportation? E! News spoke to immigration attorney Edward Schulman who offered consultation. “With Larissa, the criminal aspect can also, if she’s convicted of it… with domestic violence that can also trigger deportation proceedings,” Schulman acknowledges “So that brings it into a whole different realm,” than what most 90 Day Fiance couples face. However, Schulman notes: “If Larissa can show that she is a victim of domestic violence, then she can self-petition for a green card.” This would involve “stating that she a victim of violence under the VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) act,” he notes. “And,” Shculman says. “She can then get a green card herself without having the sponsorship of Colt.” Like T-visas for sex trafficking victims, the VAWA green card option is designed to give victims an option to escape or report without being deported. That said, the VAWA was allowed to expire in December, and we do not know how that would impact Larissa’s chances. “However, if she is deemed to be the one who is the aggressor who gets convicted of domestic violence,” Schulman continues. He says: “she could be placed in deportation proceedings and possibly deported from the United States.” “If she came into my office,” Shculman suggests. “I would say that if she really feels that she is a battered spouse, she should start gathering proof of the good faith marriage.” Larissa should also “get a psychological evaluation of herself to show that she has suffered trauma.” “If there are police reports, get those, get pictures, all those can prove that not only was it a good faith relationship,” Shculman says. “But that she is a battered spouse.” Schulman would have similar, if less urgent, advice for Colt Johnson. “I would do exactly the same thing that Larissa is doing, which is getting pictures,” Schulman says. “He doesn’t need to get the psychological evaluation obviously,” he continues. “But he would get the police reports and so forth.” These would be necessary “to pursue criminal proceedings against Larissa.” It sounds like Colt has the upper hand in any potential legal fight that they might have. Larissa speculated that Colt may have planned their fight that way, but that is unclear. Not every couple is as toxic as Colt and Larissa. What does it mean if a non-violent couple divorces? “If they haven’t gotten a green card yet, if the divorce happens prior to them being granted the green card,” Schulman begins In that case, he says, “Then they are out of luck for the green card through that spouse.” But there is hope, Schulman notes, “If the first spouse is still willing to issue an affidavit of support.” “Which is saying that they are willing to monetarily support them,” he continues. “Then they can still get a green card either through that spouse or through a different mechanism.” “It’s rarely seen, especially if someone is getting divorced,” Schulman concludes. “They tend not to want to pursue or help that person anymore.” As fans can recall, the most famous incident of exes on the show fighting over deportation was Mohamed Jbali and Danielle Mullins. Danielle, vowing revenge after feeling used, vowed to get Mohamed deported. In particular, she lamented that he had avoided having sex with her, which she felt invalidated their marriage. She also accused him of cheating. Mohamed is still in the US — he is living in Texas. Danielle was unable to annul their marriage, in part because they had consummated their union — precisely once. Whether Mohamed was using her for a green card or not, he got it. View Slideshow: 90 Day Fiance Couples: Are They Still Together?
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90 Day Fiance: Does Divorce Always Mean Deportation?
