February 19, (THEWILL) – Nigerian-born Simon Guobadia, the current husband of ‘Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA)’ star Porsha Williams, has been denied US citizenship due to his criminal past which involves numerous felonies for bank fraud, credit card fraud, identity fraud and more.
On January 11, a 13-page petition was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division. The civil action filing was regarding Simon Iyore Guobadia against the Director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, UR Mendoza Jaddou and the Director of the USCIS Atlanta Field Office, Shineka Miller.
According to the documents, Guobadia applied for US citizenship and naturalisation, but it was denied on July 27, 2022. Subsequently, he requested a hearing, and the denial was reaffirmed.
It is reported that the businessman first came to the US on August 11, 1982, and overstayed his visitor visa. In 1985, his citizenship application was denied and he was declared deportable, so he voluntarily left the States on December 28, 1985.
He re-entered in June 1986 and again overstayed his 6-month visitor visa. In September 1987, Simon Guobadia was arrested for bank and credit card fraud and pleaded guilty to the felony.
Simon Guobadia was again arrested in January 1989 for unauthorised use of a vehicle and arrested once more in May 1990 for fraud. In January 1991, Guobadia committed another felony offense for credit card fraud and in April 1991, an immigration judge ordered him to be deported.
On March 4, 1992, Guobadia was deported and physically removed from the States.
Before his deportation, on October 24, 1988, Guobadia was accused of using a different identity to seek temporary resident status under the Social Agricultural Worker (SAW) program. Despite omitting his criminal past and misrepresenting himself on the application, it was approved and he received a registration card as a temporary resident on July 25, 1991.
After a waiting period, Guobadia became a permanent resident on April 27, 1992, 26 days after he had been deported under his other undisclosed identity.
According to the documents, Guobadia applied for naturalisation under a second identity on December 22, 2016, but was denied due to his temporary resident status being unlawfully granted.
On December 31, 2020, he filed another application and was denied US citizenship again due to his not being lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
On October 24, 2022, Guobadia requested a hearing and his denial was reaffirmed on November 15, 2022.
Guobadia then married Williams in a star-studded lavish wedding.
On March 13, 2023, Simon Guobadia filed an instant complaint, asking the Court to vacate the denial and grant him citizenship. However, on January 11, 2024, United States District Judge, Steve C. Jones, ordered that Guobadia’s case seeking naturalisation be dismissed.
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