A voluntary departure bond is money you post with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to guarantee that a noncitizen leaves the United States by an immigration judge’s deadline. The minimum is $500, it has to be posted within five business days of the order, and if the person departs on time you get it back with interest. If they don’t, the money is forfeited, the alternate removal order takes effect, and the person is barred from several forms of immigration relief for ten years.1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review
When You Have to Post One
Whether a bond is required depends on when the judge granted voluntary departure. If it was granted at the conclusion of removal proceedings, a bond is mandatory and the person has up to 60 days to leave. If it was granted before the conclusion of proceedings, the bond is discretionary and the departure window can be up to 120 days.1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review
Most people looking up how to post a bond are in the first situation. The rest of this article assumes that.
Bond Amount and the Five-Day Window
The judge sets the exact dollar amount, which cannot fall below $500. Higher figures are common and usually reflect the judge’s assessment of flight risk, community ties, or how compliant the person was during proceedings.1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review
You then have five business days from the order to get the bond posted with the ICE Field Office Director. The deadline is rigid. If appeal was waived and the five days pass without payment, the alternate removal order takes effect as though voluntary departure had never been granted.1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review There is no grace period and no second hearing.
How to Post the Bond
Since April 2023, ICE has run bond posting through an electronic system called CeBONDS. Payments come in through Fedwire or ACH, both of which any U.S. bank can help you initiate. In-person posting at an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office is still handled case by case, but it’s no longer the default. Call the nearest Field Office ahead of time if you need to pay in person.2U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Post a Bond
The bond itself is executed on Form I-352, the immigration bond contract. Whoever posts the bond (the obligor) has to supply:
- The noncitizen’s full legal name and Alien Registration Number.
- The obligor’s Taxpayer Identification Number, which can be a Social Security Number, ITIN, or EIN. ICE needs the TIN so Treasury can pay interest and report it to the IRS, and can refuse the bond without one.3U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE Form I-352 – Immigration Bond
- Government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license or passport.
Using CeBONDS means you agree to receive all bond notices electronically. Watch the email address on the account carefully, including spam, because ICE sends time-sensitive notices that way.4U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Home – ICE CeBONDS Once ICE accepts the payment and you sign the I-352, ICE issues a receipt on Form I-305. Keep it. You need it to get your money back.
Extending the Departure Period
Only the ICE district director, or an equivalent official, can extend a voluntary departure period. The immigration judge who issued the original order cannot.1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review Even then, the original period plus any extension cannot exceed the statutory ceiling: 60 days when voluntary departure was granted at the conclusion of proceedings, 120 days when granted earlier. If the judge already gave the full 60 days, there is nothing left to extend. Book travel with margin instead of counting on more time.
What Happens If the Person Doesn’t Leave
When a judge grants voluntary departure, the same order enters an alternate order of removal. Miss the departure deadline and three consequences hit at once:1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review
- The full bond is forfeited. No partial refund.
- The person becomes ineligible for ten years to apply for voluntary departure, cancellation of removal, adjustment of status, change of nonimmigrant status, or registry.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1229c – Voluntary Departure
- A civil penalty of $1,000 to $5,000 applies, with the regulations presuming $3,000.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1229c – Voluntary Departure
The ten-year bar does the most lasting damage. It closes off most routes to legal status for a decade, so any future immigration plan the person had in mind is likely gone if they overstay the deadline.
Proving Departure and Cancelling the Bond
After the person leaves, you apply to the ICE Field Office Director to cancel the bond. The regulation lets each Field Office Director prescribe what proof of timely departure is accepted, so specifics vary by office.1eCFR. 8 CFR 1240.26 – Voluntary Departure Authority of the Executive Office for Immigration Review Typical evidence includes the departing flight itinerary and boarding pass, passport pages showing an entry stamp in the destination country, and verification from a U.S. consulate or embassy that the person arrived home. ICE also uses Form G-146, the Nonimmigrant Checkout Letter, which an authorized official at the port of departure fills out with the date, port, and method of transportation.
Once ICE confirms an on-time departure, it cancels the bond and sends Form I-391, the Notice of Immigration Bond Cancelled, by mail or through CeBONDS. You don’t request the I-391 yourself; ICE generates it after verifying the departure. Hold on to it. You’ll need it for the refund.
Getting Your Money Back
Assemble a refund package with:
- Form I-305, the original receipt from when you posted the bond.
- Form I-391, the cancellation notice.
- A copy of Form I-352, the bond contract, if you still have it.
If the I-305 is lost, substitute a notarized Form I-395, Affidavit in Lieu of Lost Receipt, available on the ICE website. Notary fees for a single signature typically run between $2 and $25, depending on the state.
Send the package to the ICE Bond Unit at P.O. Box 5000, Williston, Vermont 05495-5000. For questions about a pending refund, ICE directs obligors to the Financial Service Center Burlington at BondRefund.HelpDesk@ice.dhs.gov or 877-491-6521 (Option 1).2U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Post a Bond
Processing usually takes several months while ICE cross-references travel records and internal departure logs. Once approved, DHS mails a check for the full bond plus accrued interest. Confirm your mailing address is current before submitting; a returned check adds weeks.
Interest and Tax Reporting
The bond earns interest from the day ICE receives the funds until the day it’s cancelled. Federal law caps the rate at 3% per year, and Treasury adjusts it quarterly based on the average yield of 91-day Treasury bills auctioned during the previous quarter. For Q2 2026 (April through June), the rate is the full 3%.7Federal Register. Interest Rate Paid on Cash Deposited To Secure U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Immigration Bonds Because most voluntary departure bonds sit for under 60 days and the minimum is $500, the interest payment is usually small.
If interest earned is $10 or more, expect an IRS Form 1099-INT. Federal agencies including DHS are required to file it when they pay interest in the course of operations.8Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Forms 1099-INT and 1099-OID Report the interest as income on your federal return for the year the refund check arrives. The IRS receives its own copy and will notice if it’s missing.