We frequently receive questions from clients that we’re happy to answer and share with you. We hope that you see this as a valuable resource. If you have more questions, please email them to info@immigratingtousa.com. 

If I apply for an I-130 after a voluntary departure, will I be banned from the US?

When I was seventeen years old, I was deported from US for violent crimes, i.e. criminal threats and robbery. I turned 18 in a juvenile hall and, after serving my sentence, I was turned to DHS. I then decided to fight my case. Since I have two kids who were born in the U.S and am married to their mother, they gave me a voluntary departure. The D.O assured me that if I pay the voluntary departure bond I wouldn’t be banned from returning. This is because I was there for less than one year from the day I turned eighteen. Four years have gone by and I haven’t been allowed back to the U.S. My wife and my two kids are U.S citizens. I also have brothers who are U.S citizens.

Answer: It is crystal clear that the D.O either lied or didn’t have an idea about what he was saying. For you to be able to assess any chance of being allowed back to the U.S, you need to first examine the state statutes under which you were convicted thoroughly . Once you have done this, entrust a close relative who lives in the U.S to assemble all your criminal conviction paperwork. More importantly, let him/her assemble the final disposition document for your cases. This final disposition document can be requested from the office of the clerk at 220 West Broadway. It can also be gotten from the clerk’s office in Vista or Chula Vista if the case was conducted there. Once your relative has gotten those documents, let him/her schedule a consultation with a well experienced and qualified immigration lawyer.