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What are Immigration Bonds?
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Immigration bonds are financial sureties which are used to release an immigrant from the custody of immigration services. They can be purchased by immigrants, their family members, or interested third parties. Once the funds have been posted, an immigrant will be released from custody, and once the conditions of the bond are fulfilled, the money is returned. If an immigrant fails to comply with the terms, the funds are forfeited, and the immigrant may face strict legal penalties.
Bail bonds and immigration bonds are similar, in that they are both used to get people out of custody, but they work differently. Bail bonds are used to release people who have been put in jail in connection with a criminal matter, with the amount of bail being determined on the basis of the nature of the crime, the history of the person in custody, and the information supplied by attorneys and law enforcement. Immigration bonds are issued to get immigrants out of custody when they are detained by immigration services in connection with civil matters such as overstaying a visa. It is possible for an immigrant to require both a bail bond and an immigration bond in order to be released, as when an illegal immigrant is jailed on suspicion of murder.
Before an immigration bond can be issued, representatives of the government immigration agency must determine the amount of the bond. They evaluate the circumstances and the individual, setting an amount which they think is reasonable. The goal is to set an amount which encourages the immigrant to comply with the terms of the bond, without making the cost so high that it will not be feasible to pay the bond.
Delivery immigration bonds are issued to immigrants who agree to return to court for trial after being released from custody. Once the immigrant returns for trial, the funds are given back to the person who paid for the bond. Voluntary departure bonds are issued when an immigrant agrees to leave the country voluntarily after being released from custody, with the funds being returned after the immigrant proves that he or she has left. In both cases, it can take up to a year for the funds to be returned, which is something people should be aware of when purchasing immigration bonds.
Since the amount of a bond can be considerable, immigration bonds may be purchased in the form of loans. The lender agrees to supply the amount of the bond in return for a pledge of collateral. If the terms of the bond are not satisfied, the collateral is forfeit to the lender.
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGEEK researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Learn more...AS FEATURED ON:
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![Voluntary departure bonds are issued when an immigrant agrees to leave the country voluntarily after being released from custody.]()
By: MasyanyaVoluntary departure bonds are issued when an immigrant agrees to leave the country voluntarily after being released from custody. -
![Immigration bonds can be purchased by immigrants, their family members, or interestred third parties.]()
By: Monart DesignImmigration bonds can be purchased by immigrants, their family members, or interestred third parties. -
![Immigration bonds are issued to get immigrants out of custody when they are detained by immigration services in connection with civil matters such as overstaying a visa.]()
By: yossarian6Immigration bonds are issued to get immigrants out of custody when they are detained by immigration services in connection with civil matters such as overstaying a visa.
Discussion Comments
While some of the bail terms required for immigrants may appear arbitrary, they are better than the alternative. Many immigrants remain in detention centers after being denied bail for various reasons. Can you imagine spending years in a detention center waiting for your case to be heard when you have not committed a serious crime?
Acquiring an immigration bond for a family member can be a major financial burden for a family. Of course, if everything goes as planned the money should be returned, but, as this article mentions, a considerable time will pass before the money used for the bond is returned.
The most common forms of collateral are money and letters of credit, but sometimes property and other items can be used as well.
@Animandel - While the article does say that there are similarities between bail bonds and immigration bonds, they are different, and most bail bondsmen cannot file and execute an immigration bond.
An agent who issues immigration bonds has to have a special license. This person should also have the knowledge to explain to a detainee and his family what is going on and how the process works. He will also need to be able to assist in the completing of documents associated with the process of getting an immigrant released via a bond.
I was not aware of immigration bonds until recently. I thought people who had problems with their immigration status were held in custody until a hearing was conducted to determine their fates. What I am wondering now is whether immigration bail bonds can be obtained for a regular bails bondsman. The article did say that the two types of bonds were similar in some ways.
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