The person who posted a bond to get an alien out of detention can get the bond amount returned once the immigration case is completely resolved. But, knowing the person posting the bond is entitled to get the bond returned is not the same as knowing how to get the immigration bond back.
The outcome of the case, whether the alien is granted relief by the immigration judge and can stay in the United States or alternatively has been removed from the country does not matter in order to get the bond money back. In either case, the decision has been made on the alien’s case and the alien no longer needs to attend an immigration court hearing.
The condition for a refund for immigration bonds is that the alien has attended all scheduled immigration court hearings and notified U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “ICE “, of any change of address. If the alien failed to do so, the bond money is forfeited and kept by the government.
The Immigration Case Has Been Resolved – What’s Next?
Once the immigration case has been resolved completely, the person (“obligor”) who posted the bond is entitled to get the money back along with a modest amount of accrued interest.
ICE notifies the Debt Management Center (DMC) of the immigration bond’s cancellation. The DMC then sends a notice of the immigration bond’s cancellation to the person who paid the bond. This “Notice – Immigration Bond Cancelled”, Form I-391, will contain instructions on filing for the refund. Note that it can take several months after the case is resolved and ICE notifies DMC until the obligor receives form I-391 in the mail.
Once form I-391 arrives, the person who paid the bond needs to have the following documents to request the bond return:
- Form I-391, the above-mentioned notice about the canceled immigration bond
- The original bond receipt, form I-305
- The copy of the bond contract, form I-352
Those documents need to be mailed to:
Debt Management Center
Attention: Bond Unit
P.O. Box 5000
Williston, VT 05495-5000
Know that it can take several more months until the money is returned to the individual who posted the bond.
How We Can Help You Get Your Bond Money Back
If you need to get the bond you paid back from ICE, you can follow the guidelines outlined on this page. If the process is too complicated for you or you are having difficulties; for example, the alien has been released or his or her immigration court case has been concluded, but you never received the Form I-391 from ICE, we can help you. If you would like our help, please let us know by calling us or filling out our contact us form.
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