U.S. Re-entry Permit

Re-entry Permit
Date first issued ?
Issued by  United States
Type of document Travel Document
Purpose Identification
Eligibility requirements U.S. lawful permanent resident
Expiration At most two years

The Re-entry Permit (Form I-327), also known as Permit to Re-Enter is a travel document similar to a certificate of identity, issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to U.S. lawful permanent residents to allow them to travel abroad and return to the U.S. It is a passport-like booklet with a blue-green cover with the words "TRAVEL DOCUMENT" on the front.

Cover of the U.S. Travel Document
Biographic data page of the re-entry permit. This is revised on May 10, 2010.

Individuals whose application for permanent residency has not yet been approved can instead apply for Advance parole (Form I-512).

Purpose

The main purpose of the re-entry permit is to allow permanent residents to leave the U.S. for an extended amount of time without abandoning their permanent residence. For short trips abroad of up to 1 year, the Permanent Resident Card itself allows re-entry to the United States. Permanent residents must maintain their permanent residence in the U.S., or lose their permanent residency. Even for trips abroad of less than 1 year, permanent residents may be questioned as to whether they have maintained residence in the U.S. Any trip abroad of one year or more automatically causes permanent residence to be lost. If a U.S. permanent resident intends to take a long trip abroad, he/she may apply for a re-entry permit. It is issued for up to two years. It establishes that the permanent resident did not intend to abandon permanent resident status.[1]

Another purpose for the re-entry permit is to serve as an international travel document in lieu of a passport for U.S. permanent residents who are stateless, who cannot get a passport from their country, or who wish to travel to a place where they cannot use their passport. A permanent resident who obtained permanent residence as a refugee may either apply for a refugee travel document or a re-entry permit, but not both.

Contents

The travel document type Re-entry Permit is a passport-like booklet, including instruction pages, personal information page, and visa pages.

Application

USCIS Form I-131 (Application for a Travel Document) is used to apply for the re-entry permit and other travel documents. A re-entry permit can only be applied for while the applicant is inside the U.S.[2]

Acceptance

As of 2013, Schengen Area countries which have explicitly indicated to the Council of the European Union's Visa Working Party that they will accept the U.S. Re-entry Permit for visa issuance purposes include Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein; Slovakia has explicitly indicated they will not accept it, while other countries did not provide any information on their acceptance of it. Said Re-entry Permit is stated as an "Alien's Travel Document".[3]

As of Mar-2017, Japan and Turkey consulates in the US accept U.S. Re-entry permit as a valid travel document for the purpose of visa application.

Visa Free Access or Visa on Arrival

Since the U.S. Re-entry Permit is not a regular national passport, most countries and territories require visa prior to arrival.

The following countries and territories provide visa free access or visa on arrival, as they provide everyone such courtesies.

Mexico accepts U.S. Re-entry Permit and US Refugee Travel Document (form I-571) held by a permanent resident of the United States and does not require a visa in advance if you are a green card holder. Visa is required if you hold a U.S. Refugee Travel Document and I-94. Hence the green card holders do not need to have their national passports.

US Refugee Travel Document (form I-571) has visa free entry into Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia,[lower-alpha 1] Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala,[lower-alpha 2] Panama.[lower-alpha 3]

Visa on arrival can be granted to Armenia at the airport. E-visa to Rwanda can be granted to US Refugee Travel Document. Cuba does accept US Refugee Travel Document with tourist card that can be purchased upon departure at the check-in.

Vietnam, UAE, Singapore do not recognize US Refugee Travel Document for visa purposes.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Status uncertain
  2. ↑ Provided they also have a Permanent Resident or Resident Alien Card (Form I-551).
  3. ↑ People without nationality or citizenship and refugees with evidence of permission to enter which is issued before arrival by foreign representations of Panama.

References

  1. ↑ How Do I... Get a Reentry Permit (PDF), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, August 2008
  2. ↑ I-131
  3. ↑ Table of travel documents entitling the holder to cross the external borders and which may be endorsed with a visa, Council of the European Union, February 2013, p. 136, archived from the original on 2013-08-30, retrieved 2013-09-28
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