8 U.S.C. § 1183 — Admission of aliens on giving bond or undertaking; return upon permanent departure

An alien who cannot be admitted under paragraph (4) of 8 U.S.C. § 1182(a) may nevertheless be admitted, if the alien is otherwise admissible, when the Attorney General chooses to admit the alien. This is subject to the affidavit-of-support requirement and the rule attributing a sponsor’s income and resources under 8 U.S.C. § 1183a. Admission requires the giving of a suitable and proper bond or undertaking approved by the Attorney General. The Attorney General sets its amount and conditions. The bond or undertaking must hold the United States and every State, territory, county, town, municipality, and district harmless if the alien becomes a public charge. The bond or undertaking ends when the alien permanently leaves the United States, is naturalized, or dies. Money or other security held to guarantee performance must be returned to the person who provided it, or to that person’s legal representatives, except for the part forfeited because the terms were violated. The proper law officers of the United States may bring a lawsuit on the bond or undertaking in the name of the United States, for the benefit of the United States or of any State, territory, district, county, town, or municipality where the alien becomes a public charge. They may do so whether or not anyone has demanded payment of public expenses. This section uses the terms “alien,” “admissible,” “public charge,” “bond,” and “undertaking.” This section does not define those terms.