Child Support Orders may pose potential issues for certain non-citizen payors, including:
- Support orders may limit judicial discretion
- Evidence
- Significance of affidavit of support
- Employment
- Litigants in contempt proceedings
Potential Immigration Consequences Involving Unpaid Child Support
Federal Law: “Willful failure” to support dependents – whether in the U.S. or abroad – may:
- Prevent individuals from becoming U.S. citizens.
- Preclude certain types of immigration benefits or relief.
- Result in referral for immigration enforcement if the individual is held in contempt and detained for failing to comply with a court order.
