It is not something that you want to think about, and your deportation lawyer will work as hard as he can in order to prevent it, but if you are brought up in front of the immigration courts facing a potential deportation and your efforts at protecting yourself and even appealing the decision of the court failed, it is important that you are prepared. Though the possibility of being deported is one of the most unpleasant concepts for anyone who has immigrated into the United States, it is important to realize that deportation does not have to be the absolute end of the road for you in your efforts to reside in the US. Understanding your ability to return to the United States after deportation will help you to work more efficiently with your immigration lawyer so that you are prepared in the event that you are deported.

Blacklisting

The first thing that will occur to your ability to return to the United States after being deported is blacklisting. This simply means that you will not be eligible to return to the United States with an immigrant visa for a set number of years after your deportation. Ranging from 5 to 20 years, your time on the blacklist will depend on the reason you were deported in the first place. The majority of individuals who are deported will remain on the blacklist for 10 years. Longer blacklisting applies only under very serious circumstances, such as a major crime or if you have been deported before. This does not mean, however, that you are not eligible to return to the United States at all during your blacklisting. Depending on the circumstances, you may have the opportunity to return on a temporary non-immigrant visa.

Family Responsibilities

If you can demonstrate to the US government that you have legitimate family responsibilities in the United States, you may be able to apply for special permission to reenter the country. Showing that you are responsible for particular family members in the country may enable you to overcome the blacklisting and return to the country on a new immigration visa. The appropriate documentation must be submitted to the US Embassy or Consulate who will then interact with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service in order to come to a final decision. This will not be an effective course of action if you have been removed from the country due to serious infractions. In such a situation you will need to be able to demonstrate that your spouse, child or other close relative will be put under extreme hardship should you be removed from the country and not allowed to return for several years.

Your immigration attorney will emphasize with you how important it is to remember that reentering the country illegally is a serious crime. Being caught illegally reentering the country after deportation could result not in further blacklisting, but in up to 20 years of imprisonment. Trust your deportation attorney to help you with the appropriate course of action.