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Specifically on the DS160 application there is a question that asks "Have you ever been removed or deported from any country?"

If someone was denied entry to some other country at a port of entry, would that fall under either term?

As much research that I've done into the definitions, the best resource that I could come up with was the answer to a related question here Difference between deportation and removal Which indicates that this case would fall under removal, but again this is under UK law. Alternatively, other sources suggests that being Denied Entry is a distinct category and the application itself seems to specify "Entry" as distinct in other sections.

I can't seem to find a clear answer from any source regarding this issue and I would greatly appreciate any help in resolving this issue.

I will note that, to err on the side of honesty, it's probably better to write this down anyway as it and let the consulate official come to their own decision.

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It depends. I don't know the specifics of the country you were denied entry to, but for the US, if you are denied entry at a port of entry in the US (all US ports of entry are in the US except for preclearance at certain Canadian and foreign airports), the officer has the choice of allowing you with voluntarily depart or to remove you. If the officer allows you to voluntarily depart and you do so according to their terms, you are not considered to have been removed, but the officer does not have to allow you this option. Other countries may be different, and you would have to look at what the procedure was in the particular country in your particular case.

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  • I tried taking a bus trip to Canada from the US and was denied at the border. I took a taxi back to the US.
    – havingissues
    Jan 9 at 21:57
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    Canada does allow voluntary departure at land borders. A removal would come with a ban from future entry for some number of years (while voluntary departure does not), so you should know if you were removed.
    – Alexander Woo
    Jan 10 at 1:59
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Deportation means the removal of someone already having entered the country. If you're removed from port, it's just that, a removal.

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  • The terminology might vary by country and time. In the US, prior to 1997, people inside the US were subject to "deportation" proceedings while people arriving in the US were subject to "exclusion" proceedings. After 1997, both deportation and exclusion were combined into "removal" proceedings.
    – user102008
    Jan 9 at 22:44
  • Depending on the country, you being in the border area may be considered being in the country and thus refusal to enter would automatically include deportation.
    – jwenting
    Oct 4 at 7:53

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