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What
Is a Travel Document and Who Needs One?
If you are not a U.S. citizen, you may need permission to return
to the United States after traveling abroad. This permission is
granted through a travel document. Any immigrant who does
not have the correct travel documents will not be admitted to the
United States. Travel documents are also given to people who want
to travel, but cannot get a passport from their country of nationality.
You should apply for one of the following travel documents before
you leave the United States:
Advance
Parole
If you have applied for immigration benefits, you may need
Advance Parole to be able to return to the United States if you
travel abroad. It may be sought by, but not limited to, asylum
applicants, parolees, people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS),
and people who are applying to Adjust to Permanent Resident Status.
Advance Parole may be given at the discretion of the District
Director or the Service Center Director having jurisdiction over
your place of residence. If you do not apply for Advance Parole
before you leave the country, you will abandon your application
with the USCIS and you may not be permitted to
return to the United States. (Please note: This requirement
does not apply to people who have applied to adjust to permanent
resident status and are maintaining H-1 status (temporary workers
in specialty occupations) or L-1 status (intra-company transferees),
or their dependents in H-4 or L-2 status.)
Advance parole may also be sought by people who need to travel
to the United States temporarily for a humanitarian emergency.
Advance parole cannot be used to avoid normal visa issuing procedures
or processing delays. Someone in the United States may file such
an Advance Parole application for you, or you may file for yourself.
Reentry Permit
Lawful permanent residents or conditional permanent residents
who wish to remain outside the United States for more than one
year, but less than two, require a reentry permit. A reentry permit
is not required for a trip that is shorter than one year. (You
should note that an absence of more than one year will break the
period of continuous residence required to become a citizen, even
if a reentry permit is issued.) A Reentry Permit is also issued
to Lawful Permanent Residents who want to travel outside the United
States, but cannot get a national passport from their country
of nationality. A reentry permit is valid for two years.
Refugee Travel Document
A Refugee Travel Document allows people who are or once were
refugees or asylees to return to the United States after travel
abroad. You should apply for a refugee travel document before
you leave the United States. However, in some cases, USCIS officials
may issue travel documents to refugees or asylees who are physically
outside the United States. (USCIS officials will not issue a refugee
travel document to a refugee or asylee located abroad if the refugee
or asylee was thought to abandon refugee status, engage in activities
outside the U.S. that affect refugee status, or remain outside
the U.S. for more than one year.) A refugee travel document is
generally valid for one year.
How
Do I Apply?
File USCIS Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document), which is available online,
or by calling 1-800-870-3676, or by submitting an online request
to receive forms
by mail (further information on forms,
filing fees, and fee waivers is available in Forms,
Fees & Filing Locations). After receiving USCIS Form I-131, read it carefully and note the documentation and photos
that must be submitted. Detailed information is provided in the
instructions. Where you should file this form depends on your situation:
Advance
Parole
If you are in the United States and are applying for advance
parole, file USCIS Form I-131 at your local USCIS office
or the Service Center having jurisdiction over your place of residence.
If you are outside the United States, and you want to apply for
advance parole to come to the United States temporarily for a
humanitarian emergency, mail Form I-131 with supporting documentation
and fees to the USCIS foreign district office
that serves your area.
Reentry
Permits and Refugee Travel Documents
Applications for a reentry permit or refugee travel document
should be sent with the supporting documentation and fees to:
USCIS, Northern Service Center, 100 Centennial Mall North, Room
B-26, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508. If you think you may have to leave
the United States before the reentry permit is received, you may
have it sent to a U.S. Consulate or USCIS office overseas for
pick up. There is a place on the Form I-131 to furnish the information
necessary to receive the reentry permit outside of the United
States. However, even though you may receive the reentry permit
overseas, the application must be submitted while you are still
in the United States.
How Can I Check My Application Status?
Contact the USCIS office that received
your application, and be prepared to provide specific information
(see Checking
the Status of My Case).
How Can I Appeal?
If your application for a reentry permit or refugee travel document
is denied, the denial letter will tell you how to appeal. Generally,
you may appeal within 33 days of receiving the denial. Your appeal
must be filed on USCIS Form I-290B. The appeal must be filed with
the office that made the original decision. After your appeal form
and a required fee are processed, the appeal will be referred to
the Administrative Appeals Unit (AAU) in Washington, DC. (Sending
the appeal and fee directly to the AAU will delay the process.)
If your application for advance parole is denied, you will receive
a letter that will tell you why the application was denied. You
will not be allowed to appeal a negative decision to a higher authority.
However, you may submit a motion to reopen or a motion to reconsider
with the office that made the unfavorable decision. By filing these
motions, you may ask the office to reexamine or reconsider their
decision. A motion to reopen must state the new facts that
are to be provided in the reopened proceeding and must be accompanied
by affidavits or other documentary evidence. A motion to reconsider
must establish that the decision was based on an incorrect application
of law or USCIS policy, and further establish that the decision
was incorrect based on the evidence in the file at the time the
decision was made. For more information, please see Appealing
the Denial of My Petition or Application.
HELP!
- You may also
want to seek the advice of an immigration attorney, or an immigrant
assistance organization accredited by the
Board of Immigration Appeals.
The
information provided in this website is not legal advice and should
not be interpreted as legal advice. This website is intended to
provide a basic understanding of this information in summary form.
This information may not be comprehensive, is subject to change,
and may not apply to all individual circumstances. Any information
received here should be confirmed with the appropriate government
agencies or with an attorney, particularly as it relates to your
individual circumstances. Your use of this website indicates your
agreement to be bound by our Terms
of Use.
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