LOS ANGELES — A Marine Corps veteran who has been living in Mexico for 15 years will return to California this week, in what may be the first time a veteran deported for a criminal conviction has been allowed back into the United States.

The former Marine, Marco A. Chavez, was among three deported veterans pardoned in April by Gov. Jerry Brown of California. The pardon set off a chain of events that allowed Mr. Chavez’s green card, or legal permanent residency, to be restored. Mr. Chavez is likely to cross the Mexico-United States border on Thursday to reunite with his family.

“I’m excited, and I feel good,” said Mr. Chavez, 45, who has lived in Tijuana since being deported after serving time for animal cruelty. Having not seen his family in years, he added, “I’m also very nervous.”

His wife, Jackie Waite, and their three sons, who were 2, 4 and 5 when Mr. Chavez was deported, moved to Tijuana briefly but relocated to Iowa within months. Since then, he and his wife have divorced and he has seen his sons only once in more than a decade.