H.R. 1837 — Timely Departure Act

This section establishes a bond or cash payment requirement of not less than $5,000 and not more than $50,000 for aliens seeking admission as nonimmigrants (except for A, C, G, P(i), T, and U visa holders and visa waiver program country nationals), to ensure departure before the authorized period of stay expires. It provides for automatic, nonappealable forfeiture of such payments if the alien fails to depart by midnight Pacific Time on the expiration date, with forfeited amounts deposited into a new Immigration Detention and Enforcement Account to fund alien detention facilities and removal transportation; additionally, forfeited aliens must be promptly removed and are ineligible for any lawful immigration status or adjustment for 4 to 12 years. The section further requires nonimmigrants intending to seek asylum or withholding of removal to apply before their authorized stay expires (rendering them ineligible otherwise if they fail to depart timely) and limits DHS regulations to bond collection, notifications of failure to depart, and anti-circumvention measures (with no authority to waive requirements). This section takes effect 30 days after enactment.