5 Reasons for Deportation from The USA

Deportation for Not Obeying the Terms of One’s Status

Those who are in the US on a visa must obey certain terms and conditions related to their immigration status. For example, if they are in the USA on a F1 Student Visa, they need to leave the USA after their full-time study course at an accredited institution finishes. If they fail to apply for a visa renewal but they remain in the USA without permission, they can get in trouble and risk deportation. Similarly, if someone is in the USA on a B2 Tourist Visa, they are not allowed to work. If, however, they engage in employment, they violate the terms of their non-immigrant visa and can also be deported.

To avoid any problems, make sure you check and comply with the conditions of your visa. If you are unsure about what rights your visa gives you, talk to our team of expert immigration lawyers. They will answer all your questions and help you avoid mistakes that could lead to deportation.

Deportation for Violations of Immigration Laws

The violations of immigration laws that can lead to deportation include but are not limited to:

• Documentation Fraud – forging or altering a document for the purpose of entering and remaining in the US, or purchasing a falsified passport with the purpose of crossing the US border.
• Visa Overstay – staying in the US after the validity of one’s visa expires.
• Entering the US illegally – finding a way to get into or attempting to enter the country without a visa and crossing the border at an unguarded point.
• Lying on a visa application – including false information on a visa application to boost one’s chances of being granted entry into the USA.

If an individual engages in any of these activities, they will become inadmissible to the USA by reason of having violated immigration laws. Consequently, they will be refused either a Non-Immigrant or Immigrant Visa. If they had already been granted the visa before the fraud was detected, they will have it revoked. The same applies to any immigration benefits they obtained by lying on the application.

Moreover, committing immigration fraud constitutes grounds for the deportation of an individual from the USA.

Deportation for Criminal Acts

In general, if an individual commits a crime of ‘moral turpitude’ they can be deported from the USA. ‘Moral turpitude’ is a term referring to crimes that severely violate community moral values and that were done with evil intent. There are ways that can put an individual at risk of deportation when they commit a crime of moral turpitude:

• Committing a crime of moral turpitude during the first five years within the person’s legal admission into the US
• Committing two or more crimes of moral turpitude, no matter how long it has been since the person’s admission to the US.

Not all crimes lead to deportation. Nevertheless, those who use extreme violence or engage in particularly serious crimes will most likely be removed from the USA. Even those who previously had the right to live and remain in the US with no restrictions can become deportable. As outlined by Section 237(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, crimes that can lead to deportation from the USA include:

• Smuggling of humans
• Firearm offenses
• Money laundering
• Domestic violence
• Crimes against children
• Terrorist activities
• Rape
• Murder
• Drug smuggling.

Deportation for Marriage Fraud 

In order to obtain a green card, many immigrants resort to sham marriages. Nevertheless, entering a marriage with the purpose of getting US permanent residence is illegal and can lead to deportation.

For the marriage to be valid under US law, the couple needs to intend to stay and live together after the marriage ceremony. To determine the authenticity of their relationship, the authorities will ask the couple personal questions, visit their home, and talk to their friends.

If USCIS detects marriage fraud, the immigrant is likely to be removed from the USA and their eligibility for future visas becomes compromised.

Deportation for Failure to Disclose an Address Change

If you live in the US legally on a valid visa but fail to disclose a change of address, you can risk deportation. Many people trivialize it but it is a very common reason for deportation.

If you are changing the address for any reason, whether it’s a job relocation or just wanting to have a fresh start in a different city, you are required by law to notify the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about it.
The deadline for getting in touch with USCIS and letting them know about the change is ten days from the moving day. Immigrants must notify the authorities about the change in writing.