Form I-305 is the receipt Immigration and Customs Enforcement gives you after you deposit cash to secure someone’s release from immigration detention. It proves the government is holding your money, and you’ll need the original document later to get that money back. If you posted a cash immigration bond, the Form I-305 immigration bond receipt is the single most important paper in the file — losing it turns a routine refund into a longer, notarized process.
What the Document Is
The full name printed on the form is “Receipt of Immigration Officer — United States Bonds or Notes, or Cash, Accepted as Security on Immigration Bond.” Everyone calls it the bond receipt. ICE issues it to the person who paid the bond, known as the obligor.
The receipt is not the bond agreement. The agreement itself is Form I-352, which sets the conditions the released person must follow. The I-305 only confirms that ICE took your cash and how much it took.
This matters because immigration bonds come in two forms. With a cash bond, you deposit the full amount with ICE and receive an I-305. With a surety bond, a licensed bonding company posts the bond using an I-352, and you pay that company a nonrefundable fee. If a bonding company posted the bond, you don’t have an I-305 and the refund process below does not apply to you — the company is the obligor, not you.
What’s Printed on It
Every I-305 carries a unique receipt number that tracks the payment in ICE’s national database. It shows the exact dollar amount, the date the payment was processed, and the ICE office that took it. It lists the full name and Alien Registration Number (A-number) of the person being released, along with your legal name and mailing address as the obligor. That address is where ICE will send every future notice about the bond, including the refund check.
Check every detail before you leave the ICE office. A misspelled name or a wrong A-number can hold up your refund months later when you’re trying to close out the bond. Keep the original somewhere secure. A bank safe deposit box is not overkill. ICE requires the original document to process a refund, and replacing it means extra steps and more waiting.
If You Lose the Original
Losing the receipt does not mean losing your money, but it does add work. You’ll need to complete Form I-395, the Affidavit in Lieu of Lost Receipt, swearing that the original is lost and that you are the person entitled to the refund.1Office of Management and Budget. Supporting Statement A – Affidavit In Lieu of Lost Receipt of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for Collateral Accepted as Security (Form I-395)
The affidavit has to be notarized by a notary public or an authorized DHS official. Bring a government-issued photo ID. Notary fees are set by state law and generally run between $2 and $25 per signature. Submit the notarized I-395 in place of the missing receipt when you request your refund. Without either the original I-305 or a properly notarized I-395, ICE will not release the money.2U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Form I-395 – Affidavit in Lieu of Lost Receipt of United States ICE for Collateral Accepted as Security
How the Bond Ends
The bond stays active until ICE formally closes it, and the way it closes decides whether you see your money again.
If the released person attends every hearing and complies with whatever final order the judge issues, ICE cancels the bond and sends you Form I-391, the Notice of Immigration Bond Cancelled. That notice is what triggers your right to a refund.3U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Immigration Bonds
If the released person substantially violates a condition, usually by missing a court date or ignoring a removal order, ICE declares the bond breached and sends Form I-323 instead. A breach forfeits the entire amount. No ICE officer has authority to waive or reduce it.4eCFR. 8 CFR 103.6 – Immigration Bonds You can appeal a breach determination by filing Form I-290B with USCIS within 30 days of the decision (33 if it was mailed), but that appeal is a separate process outside the normal refund path.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Notice of Appeal or Motion
Using the Receipt to Get Your Refund
Wait until you have Form I-391 in hand. Then assemble a single package containing:
- Form I-391, the cancellation notice.
- The original Form I-305. Photocopies will not be accepted.
- A cover letter with the receipt number from your I-305, the A-number of the person who was detained, and your current mailing address.
Mail the package to:
Financial Operations — Bond Unit
P.O. Box 5000
Williston, VT 05495-5000
Send it certified mail with a return receipt. You are mailing original documents that cannot be easily replaced, and you want proof of delivery. Photocopy everything for your own records before you seal the envelope. ICE’s bond management handbook is explicit that the deposit cannot be refunded until the Burlington office has the original I-305, which is why losing it in transit is a real setback.6U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ERO Bond Management Handbook
Processing usually takes a couple of months, longer during heavy caseloads. Once approved, the U.S. Treasury issues a check for the original bond amount plus any accrued interest and mails it to the address on file.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1363 – Deposit of and Interest on Cash Received to Secure Immigration Bonds
If You’ve Moved
Update your address before you submit the refund package. The form is I-333, Obligor Change of Address, and you need one for each bond you’ve posted. Submit it in person at an ICE office or mail it to the Enforcement and Removal Operations office where the bond was originally posted.8U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Obligor Change of Address – Form I-333 Skip this step and the check will go to your old address.
Sending the Refund to Someone Else
If you want the refund paid to a family member, an attorney, or the person who was detained rather than to yourself, use Form I-312, Designation of Attorney in Fact. It authorizes a named person to accept the cash and any accrued interest on your behalf.9U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Designation of Attorney in Fact – Form I-312
The I-312 must be notarized and mailed to the same Williston, Vermont address used for refunds. It does not take effect until ICE confirms it and enters it into their system. One point catches people off guard: even after you file an I-312, ICE still communicates only with you as the original obligor. They will not contact your designee, and they do not recognize private agreements you may have made about splitting the money. You also stay responsible for all obligations under the bond, including keeping your address current.9U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Designation of Attorney in Fact – Form I-312
Interest and Taxes on the Refund
Your deposit earns interest from the day it’s posted until the day the bond is refunded or breached, whichever comes first. The Secretary of the Treasury sets the rate, and federal law caps it at 3% per year.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1363 – Deposit of and Interest on Cash Received to Secure Immigration Bonds The actual rate changes periodically and is published in the Federal Register. On a $10,000 bond held for two years at the maximum 3% rate, interest would come to roughly $600.
The calculation includes the refund date but not the deposit date. If you deposited cash on March 1 and interest is certified for payment on June 15, interest runs from March 2 through June 15.10eCFR. 8 CFR 293.1 – Computation of Interest
That interest is taxable income in the year you receive it. If you designated someone else through an I-312, the designee is responsible for the tax on the interest portion.9U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Designation of Attorney in Fact – Form I-312 Keep records of the original bond amount and the interest paid so you can report it accurately. The principal itself is not income, since it’s your own money coming back to you.