Definition
Voluntary Departure
Permission to leave the U.S. on your own without a removal order on your record.
Voluntary departure is granted by an immigration judge or DHS, allowing a noncitizen to depart the U.S. at their own expense by a set date. Departing voluntarily avoids the bars and stigma of a formal removal order, but failure to depart triggers steep penalties.
See also
More immigration terms
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Waiver
A USCIS approval forgiving a ground of inadmissibility.
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Withholding of Removal
Protection from deportation for people who face persecution in their home country.
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3- and 10-Year Bars
Bars to reentry triggered by accruing unlawful presence and then leaving the U.S.
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Abandonment of LPR Status
Losing green card status by intentionally giving up your U.S. residence.
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AC21 Porting
Changing employers while an I-485 is pending without losing the underlying I-140.
Not legal advice. Definitions are provided for educational use. For case-specific guidance, consult a licensed immigration attorney.