If you have been seeing advertisements or hearing about the CBP Home app’s “Intent to Depart” feature, you are not alone. The Department of Homeland Security has been promoting this tool as a voluntary, incentivized way for undocumented individuals to leave the United States on their own terms — complete with travel assistance, waived fines, and even a $1,000 “exit bonus.”
It sounds appealing. But before you — or anyone you know — downloads this app and submits any information, there are critical legal and safety implications you need to understand. This post breaks down exactly how the app works, what data it collects, and what it does not protect you from.
What Is the CBP Home App?
CBP Home was launched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2025. It serves as the successor to the CBP One app for public-facing functions. The app is free and available on both iOS and Android devices.
Its flagship feature is the “Intent to Depart” module — a tool designed for non-citizens who are unlawfully present in the United States and wish to leave voluntarily. DHS markets it as an alternative to formal enforcement removal, with several advertised benefits:
— Limited travel planning assistance — Waiver of “failure-to-depart” fines — A publicized $1,000 exit bonus
Despite this framing, immigration attorneys and legal advocates are urging extreme caution. This app is, at its core, a self-reporting tool that feeds data directly into DHS enforcement systems.
How the App Works: Step by Step
Here is what the process looks like from start to finish:
Step 1: Download and Create an Account After downloading the app, users create a profile by entering their full name, date of birth, nationality, contact information, and a facial recognition selfie. The moment this profile is created, it becomes a DHS record linked to the person’s biometric and biographic data.
Step 2: Select “Intent to Depart” From the home menu, users select the Intent to Depart module and are prompted to provide their country of return, preferred departure date, preferred port of exit, the names of any travel companions, and passport or consular identification data.
Step 3: CBP Review Once submitted, the information is transmitted to and screened by CBP. During this review period, the applicant is described as being “de-prioritized” for enforcement action. However, this does not mean the person is protected from arrest or detention.
Step 4: Departure Upon leaving the United States, users who departed by driving into Mexico must manually verify their departure in the app. To do so, they need a valid passport or Alien Registration Number (A#), must be at least three miles from the U.S. border, and must take a photo in good lighting.
Step 5: Incentives Are Paid After Exit Travel reimbursement, fine forgiveness, or the $1,000 bonus are only processed after a verified departure. Verification is done primarily by allowing the government to track the user’s location through their cell phone.
Your Data Goes Directly Into Federal Enforcement Databases
This is perhaps the most important thing to understand about the CBP Home app.
According to DHS’s own Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA-084, June 2025), everything a user submits through the app — including their name, date of birth, nationality, facial recognition data, fingerprints, and stated intent to depart — is transmitted to and stored within DHS enforcement databases. Specifically, this includes the Enforcement Integrated Database (EID) and TECS, both of which are accessible to CBP, ICE, and USCIS for immigration enforcement and adjudicative purposes.
In plain terms: signing up for this app confirms your presence in the United States to federal law enforcement — before you have even left the country.
This data cannot simply be deleted after the fact. If information was submitted inaccurately, corrections must go through the DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (TRIP) after departure.
What the App Does NOT Do
This is where many people are being misled by the app’s marketing. Here is a clear list of what the CBP Home “Intent to Depart” feature does not provide:
— It does NOT stop your unlawful-presence clock from running — It does NOT waive the 3-year or 10-year reentry bars that are triggered when you leave the U.S. — It does NOT protect you from the permanent bar under INA Section 212(a)(9)(C) — It does NOT shield you from detention while your submission is pending review — It does NOT fulfill an existing voluntary departure order issued by an immigration court — It does NOT grant any form of legal immigration status — It does NOT issue a physical document or official receipt confirming your participation — It does NOT guarantee approval of the $1,000 bonus
Departure through this app triggers the same unlawful-presence bars as any other departure. There is no special legal protection created by using this tool.
Special Situations to Be Aware Of
Biometrics and Registration Some users who initiate the Intent to Depart process are routed into USCIS’s alien registration process and required to file Form G-325R. After filing, USCIS schedules a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center where fingerprints, a photograph, and a signature are collected.
Traveling with Family If you add travel companions to your profile, their information is also submitted to DHS. Families should understand that every person listed in the app becomes part of a federal record.
Driving Into Mexico If you plan to leave by driving across the border into Mexico, you must verify your departure manually through the app. This requires a valid passport or A#, being at least three miles from the border, and submitting a photo taken in good lighting. CBP will record the date of departure based on when this verification is completed.
Prior Removal Orders Departure through this app does not resolve or satisfy a prior removal order. Standard bars associated with prior orders still apply.
Who Should Be Especially Cautious
If any of the following apply to you or your family member, it is essential to speak with an immigration attorney before taking any action with this app:
— You have a pending asylum application — You have DACA, a U-visa, or a pending cancellation of removal case — You have a prior removal or deportation order on your record — You have any criminal history, including arrests without convictions — You are the primary caretaker of U.S. citizen children — You have any other pending immigration case or application
In these situations, the decision to depart — and how you depart — can have life-altering consequences. The CBP Home app does not account for individual circumstances, and no app can replace the advice of a qualified attorney.
Our Recommendation
Do not use the CBP Home “Intent to Depart” feature without first consulting an immigration attorney. What you submit is immediate, permanent, and accessible to federal enforcement agencies. The $1,000 bonus and voluntary framing may seem attractive, but the legal consequences of departure — including multi-year or permanent bars from returning to the United States — can far outweigh any short-term benefit.
If you or someone you know is considering this app, we urge you to reach out before taking any steps.
This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please consult a licensed immigration attorney for advice specific to your situation.