Checklist before leaving the United States

This page is a practical checklist. It is general information, not legal advice. What leaving means for your immigration case is on Should I leave the United States on my own?, and options for living in another country are on Legal ways to move to another country.

We know this is a big decision, and a heavy one. You do not have to do it all at once. Start with the first step, and work down the list.

What should we do first?

Talk with a lawyer. Leaving the U.S. can affect a court case, a pending application, and whether you can ever come back. Ask before you buy tickets or give notice anywhere. Free and low cost help is on Free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area.

Then make a timeline. Write down your leaving date and count back. Some steps, like a child's passport, take weeks. Start those first.

What papers do our children born here need?

Bring the papers that prove your children are U.S. citizens. Keep them with you, not in a moving box.

• Certified birth certificates. Order more than one, from the county where each child was born. The state vital records office charges $31 per certified copy (CDPH Vital Records Fees, checked October 21, 2026). Check your county recorder's fee before you order.
• An apostille on each birth certificate. Schools and offices abroad may ask for one before they accept a U.S. paper. Ask your country's consulate. The California Secretary of State gives apostilles for $20 each, plus $6 per signature if you go in person (checked October 18, 2026). Some county birth certificates may first need to be certified by the county clerk or reordered from the county recorder or the state. The Secretary of State's apostille page explains which.
• A U.S. passport. A child under 16 must apply in person with Form DS-11 every time. There is no renewal by mail for children. The passport lasts 5 years (checked October 18, 2026).
• Their Social Security cards, in a safe place with the birth certificates.

Getting a child's passport, step by step:

1. Fill out Form DS-11. Print it on one side of the paper.
2. Bring the child, the birth certificate, one passport photo, and a photo ID for each parent, plus photocopies of the IDs and the birth certificate.
3. Both parents should go. If one parent cannot, that parent signs a notarized Form DS-3053 with a copy of the ID they showed the notary. If one parent is detained, has left the country or cannot be found, the rules are different. Ask the passport office or a lawyer what to bring.
4. Pay $100 for the passport book plus a $35 acceptance fee. Faster service costs $60 more and takes 2 to 3 weeks (checked October 18, 2026).

Each parent needs a photo ID. The State Department accepts a current foreign passport or a Matrícula Consular as a parent's photo ID (checked October 18, 2026).

If your child should also have your home country's nationality or passport, do it before you leave if you can. See Dual nationality for your child. If you need your own passport renewed, see Renew your passport or get a consular ID.

What school and medical records should we take?

Schools in your new country will ask what grade your child finished. Bring proof.

• School records. Ask each school office for report cards, transcripts, attendance records, and any special education plan (IEP or 504 plan). Parents have the right to see and get their child's school records. At 18, that right passes to the student (checked October 18, 2026). In California, the school district must give you copies within 5 business days after you ask (Education Code 49069.7, checked October 21, 2026). Ask in writing and keep a copy. The last weeks of a school year are busy.
• Diplomas and college papers. Bring originals and copies. Ask the school in the new country if they need an apostille or a translation.
• Medical records. You have the right to get copies of your medical records. A provider may charge a reasonable fee for copying and mailing, but not for finding them (checked October 18, 2026). Ask for vaccine records for every child, and a list of medicines and doses.
• Prescriptions. Ask your doctor for a few months' supply, and a written list of each medicine's generic name.

What about our own papers and records?

• Your immigration file. You can ask USCIS for copies of your records online. Ask only for the papers you need, since smaller requests move faster (checked October 18, 2026). Ask your lawyer first. These papers may matter if you ever apply to come back.
• Proof of your life here. Keep copies of leases, pay stubs, tax returns, and letters from employers and your church. Some may help later with jobs or visa applications abroad.
• IDs. Make sure your passport from your home country is current before you go.

What about money and taxes?

• Get paid for all your work. Ask for your final paycheck. If your employer owes you, the Labor Commissioner accepts wage claims even from people who no longer live in the U.S. (checked October 18, 2026). See How to file a wage claim and Your final paycheck.
• Taxes. The IRS says most noncitizens must get a "certificate of compliance," also called a sailing permit, before they leave. You apply at least 2 weeks before you go, and not more than 30 days before, by appointment at an IRS office (844-545-5640). The IRS warns that some offices may not have appointments in that window, so call early (IRS sailing permit page, checked October 21, 2026). Some groups are exempt. Ask a trusted tax preparer whether it applies to you. Free help: Free tax help if you file with an ITIN.
• Bank accounts. Ask your bank if you can keep your account and use it from abroad. If not, close it after your last paycheck and bills clear.
• Sending money. Before you move savings, read New federal tax on money sent abroad.
• Debts and contracts. Pay off or cancel phone plans, gym memberships and other contracts. Avoid signing new long term contracts once you decide to go.

What about our home and our car?

• Your rental. If you rent month to month, California law says you must give at least 30 days' notice in writing, and rent is due until the last day (checked October 19, 2026). If you have a lease, read it. Take photos when you move out, and give your landlord a forwarding address for your deposit.
• Your car. If you sell it, sign the title over and send the DMV a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability within 5 days (checked October 18, 2026). Keep a copy. Then you are not blamed for tickets the new owner gets.
• Utilities, phone and mail. Set a stop date for power, water, internet and your phone. Ask a trusted person in the U.S. to receive your mail and tell you about anything important.

Who should we tell, and when?

• Family and friends. Talk early about who will take care of what, and how you will stay in touch. If you need help with these talks, see Sorting through what you feel.
• Schools, doctors, employers and your church. Tell them your last day so records and letters are ready in time.
• Your lawyer. Give them a way to reach you abroad.

Who can help?

These are free or low cost nonprofits. Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto: (650) 326-6440, for low income residents of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties
• More legal help in the Bay Area: Free or low cost immigration legal help in the Bay Area
• Anywhere in the U.S.: search for a recognized nonprofit on the Department of Justice roster, listed by state. In California, the Department of Social Services lists state funded legal help.

Only a lawyer or a DOJ accredited representative may give you immigration legal advice. See Warning signs of an immigration scam.

Is there a checklist I can print?

A new start is hard, and it is also a new start. Take the papers, take the people you love, and take hope with you.