The-Dream -- My Alien Ex Falsely Accused Me of Strangulation ... To Stay in the U.S.

Poor Canada -- The-Dream's ex-girlfriend would rather see him rot in jail than return to Canuckistan ... and that's exactly why the producer believes she has falsely accused him of strangling her.

Dream is telling friends, the reason he was charged Wednesday with felony assault and strangulation is all because Lydia Nam was about to be kicked out of the U.S.

Here's the deal. Her visa is set to expire shortly. Dream says she found out there's a special visa that allows immigrants to remain in the country if they're crime victims and they're needed in the prosecution of the perpetrator.

So, Dream says, that's why she FALSELY accused him of punching, kicking and strangling her while she was pregnant with their son.

For Nam's part, sources close to her tell us, Dream didn't just attack her once ... he had a history of physically abusing her. She admits she waited 7 months after the strangling incident to file a police report, but she says the reason for the delay is simple -- she was terrified of him.