"Self-deportation" refers to three different things, and how a person leaves affects their future as much as the fact of leaving. The first is voluntary departure: a formal decision by an immigration judge or DHS. The second is the CBP Home program (Project Homecoming): leaving through a DHS app after notifying the government of an intent to depart. The third is simply leaving on one's own, without any process. The consequences of these paths differ, and some are irreversible.
Status as of July 12, 2026. Since 2025, DHS has actively promoted leaving through the CBP Home app under the Project Homecoming program. According to DHS, participants are offered free travel, an exit bonus (since January 2026, $2,600), and forgiveness of fines for failing to comply with a departure order; after submitting an "intent to depart" and passing vetting, a person is temporarily deprioritized for ICE detention. Registration shares data with ICE, and DHS's own FAQ recommends consulting an attorney before submitting.
Voluntary departure — a court or DHS decision
Voluntary departure is a departure provided for by law (INA §240B) that an immigration judge or DHS may grant. The person admits they are removable, withdraws pending applications, and agrees to leave at their own expense within a set time (up to 120 days early in the case, up to 60 days at its conclusion). The advantage is that no removal order appears in the record — which can make a lawful return easier later. But the conditions are strict: failing to leave on time converts the grant into a removal order, with a fine and a ten-year bar to several forms of relief. Certain categories (for example, people convicted of an aggravated felony) are not eligible for voluntary departure, and unlawful-presence bars still apply.
CBP Home (Project Homecoming) — leaving through an app
CBP Home is a DHS mobile app through which a person without status submits an "Intent to Depart." After vetting, DHS states that the person is temporarily deprioritized for detention and is offered travel and an exit bonus, and that for pending court cases DHS will, where appropriate, seek dismissal of the proceedings. An important caveat: the program calls this "voluntary departure," but it is legally not the same as voluntary departure in court; some immigration attorneys have reported cases in which the departure was processed as a stipulated removal — a removal order without a hearing. Registration also shares data with ICE, so the risk of arrest before departure remains.
Leaving on your own
The most informal path is to leave independently, without a court or an app. ICE states that a person without status can arrange their own departure at any time; leaving in itself does not require the CBP Home program. At the same time, certain case obligations or conditions of release (for example, ICE supervision or court appearances) may still apply, and this path carries no legal guarantees: unlawful-presence bars (3 or 10 years) take effect the moment the person crosses the border; leaving with a pending case generally means abandoning it (for example, an asylum case is treated as abandoned); and if there is a court case that is not properly closed, the judge can enter a removal order in the person's absence (in absentia). An easier return is not guaranteed by this kind of departure.
Any of these paths can lead to a multi-year or permanent bar on entry and to the loss of pending cases — these are decisions with possible irreversible consequences. Before any step, they are discussed with a licensed attorney; documents are not signed without understanding them.
How the immigration court and removal process work overall is covered in the Immigration Court & Removal section; how to check your own hearing date is covered in the How to Check Your Court Date spoke.
How does voluntary departure differ from a removal order?
With voluntary departure, no removal order appears in the record: the person leaves at their own expense within a set time, having admitted they are removable. This can make a lawful return easier later, whereas a removal order by itself adds long bars on entry. At the same time, voluntary departure does not cancel unlawful-presence bars and requires leaving exactly on time.
Will it be easier to return to the U.S. after leaving?
Not necessarily. Voluntary departure granted by a court can make a future visa application easier, because there is no removal order. An informal departure on one's own, or registration through CBP Home, does not guarantee return and does not erase past violations; unlawful-presence bars may apply in any case.
What happens to a pending case if you leave?
Leaving with a pending application generally means abandoning it — for example, an asylum case is treated as abandoned. If there is a case in immigration court and the person leaves without properly closing it, the judge can enter a removal order in their absence (in absentia), which adds its own bars on entry.