绿卡的经济担保可以撤销吗？

有读者留言问：「我担保父母来美，父母来美以来处处针对我，我可以取消担保吗？」

之前还有另外一位读者问：「为最亲的亲人做亲属移民并承担经济担保至今已有 8 年多，但因我住 Georgia, 她住纽约，她从来美国后的第 2 年起到现在，一直瞒着我申请福利和政府医疗保险，我现在劝说她放手，不要再去申请这些政府福利和医疗保险，因为她这样做会害的我要替她偿还她用掉的政府的福利。但她就是不听。」

又说：「… 作为经济担保人，我都必须为她所使用的医疗保险和政府福利买单。而且我是没有任何办法可以解脱这种状况? 我也不可以请律师告她吗? 政府难道没有任何的法律条例可以保护被『无赖』被担保人缠上的经济担保人吗? 难道我们辛苦赚的钱就该白白的为这个无耻的被担保人还政府的福利债? 我们的生活要怎么办? 这对我们这些经济担保人太不公平了。」

经济担保（Affidavit of Support; I-864 表格）是一份有法律效力的合同，相当于你向美国政府承诺：这个人移民之后，不会成为美国人民的负担；如果他移民之后使用了政府福利，我会替他偿还。这种担保的期限是直到被担保人：

成为美国公民，或者
在美国挣够 40 个季度的工分（大约是工作 10 年），或者
死亡，或者
放弃绿卡、离开美国。

注意：离婚并不会终止担保责任。如果你为配偶做经济担保、申请了绿卡，但后来感情破裂、双方离婚，只要被担保人未满足上述四种条件之一，那么你仍然需要为他申请的政府福利负责。

既然是一份有法律效力的合同，生效之后无法单方面更改。如果被担保人的移民申请尚未批准，那么相当于该合同尚未生效，你可以立刻书面通知处理该移民申请的美国政府部门，要求撤销担保 —— 在境内调整身份的话是联系移民局，境外领馆处理的话是国家签证中心和/或使领馆。

如果你联系晚了，移民签证或绿卡已经批准，那么合同已经生效，通常来说就无法撤销 —— 除非，如果是境外申请移民签证的话，为他申请签证的人能成功撤销该签证。如果您面临这种困境，建议联系移民律师详细咨询。

8 C.F.R. § 213a.2(f) 对此有明确的说明：

(f) Withdrawal of affidavit of support and any required attachments.

(1) In an immigrant visa case, once the sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, household member, or intending immigrant has presented a signed affidavit of support and any required attachments to a Department of State officer, the sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member may disavow his or her agreement to act as sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member if he or she does so in writing and submits the document to the Department of State officer before the actual issuance of an immigrant visa to the intending immigrant. Once the intending immigrant has obtained an immigrant visa, a sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member cannot disavow his or her agreement to act as a sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member unless the person or entity who filed the visa petition withdraws the visa petition in writing, as specified in 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3)(i)(A) or 8 CFR 205.1(a)(3)(iii)©, and also notifies the Department of State officer who issued the visa of the withdrawal of the petition.

(2) In an adjustment of status case, once the sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, household member, or intending immigrant has presented a signed affidavit of support and any required attachments to an immigration officer or immigration judge, the sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member may disavow his or her agreement to act as sponsor, substitute sponsor, joint sponsor, or household member only if he or she does so in writing and submits the document to the immigration officer or immigration judge before the decision on the adjustment application.