Understanding Matter of Delcarmen-Lara: The New Meaning of "Departure" Under INA § 212(a)(9)(B)

On August 13, 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) issued a decision on Matter of Delcarmen-Lara , that overruled Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly and held that travel on advance parole is now a "departure" for purposes of the unlawful presence bars at INA § 212(a)(9)(B)(i). Under this new interpretation, a person who has accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence and then leaves the United States on advance parole will trigger the 3- or 10-year bar to admissibility. The BIA appli