A request for forgiveness is a procedure in which we ask the government to forgive us for any violation of immigration laws that we have committed in order to obtain residency or maintain residency. For example: A person that enters the United States undocumented and stays for 10 years. When they leave their country for a residency appointment, they will be imposed 10 years of punishment because that’s what the law says. Then, they must ask forgiveness for living undocumented in the United States. If they give them the pardon then they can re-enter the United States with residency. If they do not grant the pardon and they leave then they will have to stay in their country of origin for 10 years.