(Below is a transcription of this video)
Hi, this is Michael Niren, immigration lawyer and founder of VisaPlace.com.
So what’s going on with Justin Bieber and the petition to have him deported
from the United States? If you’ve heard in the news, and most people have
heard about this, he was charged with reckless driving. He was allegedly
drag racing in South Beach, Miami, and he got caught and he was charged
with a criminal offense.
Now, the question has come up that Justin Bieber is a permanent resident.
He’s a green card holder. He’s a Canadian citizen and he’s a U.S. green
card holder. And people are very upset about what has happened, and
understandably so. And a petition has been prepared with thousands and
thousands of signatures calling for his deportation.
What May Put A Green Card Holder at Risk of Deportation?
So what is this all about? Well, basically, if you are a permanent resident
of the United States, if you are a green card holder, you could be subject
to deportation if you’ve committed some serious criminality. Now, there are
rules regarding this and it depends on how many offenses you’ve committed,
or the seriousness. But as a permanent resident and not a citizen, you
could potentially be deported. Even though you’ve lived in the United
States a long time and made the United States your life, you still could
potentially be removed.
So people are understanding this, and the fact that Justin Bieber is just a
green card holder, theoretically he could be subject to deportation. Now in
his case, I don’t think that’s going to happen, even though it was a
serious offense or a serious allegation that he’s committed an offense. It
was still a single offense and I don’t believe that is going to be enough
to result in his deportation.
Why Applying For US Citizenship Is Beneficial
But for our clients who have green cards, I always tell them that when they
are eligible, they should consider applying for a U.S. citizenship. Because
in the event they are charged with a criminal offense, or even wrongly
charged, and they are, in fact, convicted, they could be subject to
removal. And that, in fact, applies to Canada as well. If you’re a Canadian
permanent resident, you also could be subject to removal from Canada if
you’ve committed an offense.
We Can Help You Apply for US Citizenship
So both sides of the border, it’s important to think about applying to
citizenship when you’re eligible because permanent residents, while it
gives you the right to remain in the country on a permanent basis, there
are conditions, there are circumstances where you could be subject to
removal from that country and that would be very devastating for people
living there on a permanent basis.
So for Justin Bieber, I don’t think he has much to worry about. Hopefully,
he will stop doing what he’s doing and start behaving like a grownup. But I
don’t think he’s going to be subject to removal for his offense. Okay.
Thank you, and have a great day.
Contact our experienced team today, and let us help you with your US immigration matters.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
