What is a Voluntary Departure?

A Voluntary Departure is an immigration law option available to immigrants in Texas. It is a way for an immigrant to avoid being formally deported by the United States government. To choose voluntary departure, an immigrant must agree to leave the United States within a certain period of time, usually 60 days, and must pay any back taxes owed and associated fines for living and working in the U.S. without permission. For immigrants in Texas facing deportation proceedings, voluntary departure can be an attractive option because it does not carry the same stigma as a formal deportation. Immigrants who leave the United States voluntarily are not subject to inadmissibility or deportation bars. This means that after their voluntary departure, they can apply to return to the United States in the future, or apply for a visa, if they meet the proper eligibility requirements. In addition, if an immigrant is granted voluntary departure, they may be able to keep their right to receive court-awarded costs if they reapply for entry to the United States. This means that if the deportation case was dismissed, or the immigrant won their case, they may still be eligible to receive any costs associated with returning to the United States, such as visas or fares. Lastly, voluntary departure eliminates the risk that a criminal record will be created due to deportation proceedings. As long as an immigrant leaves the United States within the designated time frame, no criminal record is created for the immigrant. This can be a major benefit for immigrants who may be eligible for legal immigration status in the future.

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Una Salida Voluntaria es una forma de deportación para personas que viven en los Estados Unidos de manera ilegal. Esta medida les permite salir del país voluntariamente, en lugar de enfrentar deportación forzada. Una Salida Voluntaria permite a las personas abandonar los Estados Unidos sin sufrir los efectos negativos de la deportación. En el estado de Texas, el Servicio de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) es el encargado de llevar a cabo la Salida Voluntaria. El organismo de inmigración informará al solicitante acerca de los detalles del programa, incluidos los requisitos de elegibilidad y el tiempo que se le concede para abandonar el país. Si el solicitante cumple con todos los requisitos y se cumple el plazo establecido, recibirá una Salida Voluntaria segura, lo que significa que podrá salir de los Estados Unidos sin ser deportado y sin tener que regresar. Un beneficio adicional de una Salida Voluntaria afectada es que a diferencia de una deportación forzada, una persona que obtiene una Salida Voluntaria no se considera en su país de residencia como una persona que ha sido deportada. Esto significa que la persona en cuestión no tendrá que enfrentar las dificultades asociadas a la deportación forzada, como la prohibición de regresar a los Estados Unidos.

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