Can I Get an Immigration Bond Refund in Atlanta?

In the days following an arrest made by ICE, the agency will aim to determine bond eligibility. Fortunately, many immigrants are able to be released from an ICE facility and can return home within a matter of days. Although they may no longer be housed in an ICE facility or local prison, these immigrants must still abide by the terms of their bond. In some cases, this means that they must leave the country while in others, it means that they must appear in court. In either scenario, families must first pay costly bonds. Because these bonds are unexpected expenses, they can wreak financial havoc on families, leading them to wonder can they get an immigration bond refund in Atlanta?

To determine if you are eligible to receive an immigration bond refund in Atlanta, you will first have to take into consideration the method in which you paid. Bond sponsors in Atlanta typically have two options: directly through ICE or with an immigration bond service. 

If you paid a bond in full at a local ICE facility, you will likely be eligible for a refund if the immigrant adhered to the terms of their bond. Once the case resolves in court or the immigrant leaves the country (depending on the type of bond granted), you will receive a Notice of Bond Cancellation. This is also known as a form I-391 and will arrive through the mail to the address on file with the ICE agency. If you have relocated since you made a bond payment, be sure to reach out to ICE so that they can forward the paperwork to the correct address. Once you have this form, you can pursue an immigration bond refund in Atlanta. To do so, you will mail this form along with a Form I-205 (Receipt of Immigration Officer) to the Debt Management Center. This may seem fairly straightforward, but it is notoriously tough to get a refund from ICE even when you qualify. It may take up to a year (or more) before you receive a refund, or you may experience complications that prevent it. For this reason, it is ideal to pay immigration bonds through a bond service in Atlanta instead.

Unlike payments made through ICE, bonds that are paid in full to a bond service are typically held in escrow. This means that once the case concludes through the court system, funds can be returned quickly and efficiently. On the other hand, those who only paid a portion of the bond amount to secure a surety bond, are not eligible for a refund. In these cases, the bond will be canceled if the immigrant abided by the terms of bond. If not, however, the immigration bond service will collect the collateral in an effort to recuperate the lost funds. 

Want to learn more about immigration bond refunds in Atlanta? Reach out to the experts at US Immigration Bonds today.