Form I-131A: Eligibility, Embassy Filing, and Boarding Foil

If you’re a lawful permanent resident stuck abroad because your green card was lost, stolen, or destroyed, Form I-131A is the application you file at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate to get a boarding foil placed in your passport so an airline will let you fly home. The foil is a single-use travel document, not a replacement green card, and it works only if your time outside the United States is still within the allowed window.

Who Can File Form I-131A

You’re eligible if you’re a lawful permanent resident or conditional permanent resident and your green card or reentry permit was lost, stolen, or destroyed while you were temporarily outside the United States.¹ Two time limits govern, measured from the day you left the U.S. to the day you pay the filing fee:

If your green card was lost, your absence must be less than one year.
If your reentry permit was lost, your absence must be less than two years.

Cross either line and USCIS treats you as having potentially abandoned your permanent resident status, which puts you outside what I-131A can fix.²

Expired Is Not the Same as Lost

If you still physically hold your green card and it has only expired, you likely don’t need I-131A at all. An expired permanent resident card together with a valid Form I-797 receipt showing you filed Form I-90 to replace it can be used to board a flight to the U.S.² Conditional residents whose two-year card has expired can rely on the same combination if they have an I-797 receipt for a timely-filed Form I-751 or Form I-829.³ Form I-131A is for the situation where you have no usable document in hand because the card or permit is physically gone.

What to Gather Before Your Embassy Visit

Missing paperwork is the most common source of delay, and every extra day abroad costs you. Bring:

A copy of every page of your passport, including the biographic page, plus the original passport itself when you pick up the foil.
Any evidence you hold LPR status: a copy of the lost green card, your immigrant visa stamp, or a CBP admission stamp in your passport.
Travel records showing when you left the U.S. and when you planned to return, such as tickets, itineraries, e-tickets, or boarding passes.
One color passport-style photo, 2 by 2 inches, taken within 30 days of filing, with a white or off-white background and a full-face frontal view. Write your name and A-Number lightly in pencil on the back.
Printed proof that you paid the filing fee online.

If your card was stolen, write a short account of what happened, including the date, location, and circumstances, and attach a police report if you were able to get one.³ Consular officers read these carefully. Vague accounts create questions; specific ones close them.

The full document list appears in the official instructions.²

Pay First, Then File in Person

The order matters. Fee first, appointment second.

Paying the Fee

Pay the filing fee through the USCIS online payment system before you go to the embassy. Accepted methods are credit card, debit card, or U.S. bank account, and you’ll need your A-Number to complete the transaction.¹ Check the current amount on the USCIS fee schedule, since fees change from time to time.⁴ The fee is non-refundable whether your application is approved or denied, and there is no fee waiver available for I-131A.

Filing at the Embassy or Consulate

Once the fee is paid, submit the completed Form I-131A and your supporting documents in person at the Consular Section of a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.¹ If a USCIS international office is nearby, you may be able to file there instead and can book an appointment through the myUSCIS portal.⁵

Scheduling practices vary. Some posts accept walk-ins for this filing; others require an appointment booked through the consular website. Check the specific embassy’s page before you show up, and bring printed evidence of your payment.

The Boarding Foil and Its Limits

If DHS approves your application, the embassy places a boarding foil inside your passport. It is valid for a single entry into the United States and expires no more than 30 days from the date of issue.⁶ That 30 days is a hard deadline. Miss it and the foil is dead paper; you’d have to file again.

Approval is discretionary. Meeting the technical requirements doesn’t guarantee a yes.² Processing times depend on the post. Many aim to issue within a few working days; busier consulates take longer. If you have an urgent flight, say so when you file.

When You Land

The foil gets you on the plane. It does not guarantee admission. On arrival, CBP officers inspect you the same way they inspect any returning LPR and verify your identity and status through their systems.⁶ For a properly issued foil, this is usually routine. Be ready to explain how you lost the card if asked.

If You’re Denied

A denial of Form I-131A cannot be appealed. The instructions state that the decision is discretionary and there is no appeal.² The fee is not returned.

A denial usually means USCIS has concerns about whether you still qualify as a permanent resident. Your remaining options narrow to applying for a returning resident (SB-1) visa through the consular section or consulting an immigration attorney about whether your LPR status can still be preserved. The one thing not to do is wait. The longer you stay abroad without resolving the issue, the harder it becomes to argue you didn’t abandon your residence.

When You’ve Been Outside the U.S. Too Long

If you’ve been abroad more than one year without a reentry permit, or more than two years even with one, Form I-131A won’t help you. The law treats an absence that long as potential abandonment of LPR status, and the way back is a returning resident (SB-1) visa.

To qualify for SB-1, you have to show a consular officer three things: that you had LPR status when you left, that you always intended to return, and that circumstances beyond your control kept you abroad longer than planned.⁷ That third element is where most cases turn. A serious medical emergency, a family crisis, or civil unrest that blocked travel can carry it. Losing track of time or extending a vacation will not. The application is filed on Form DS-117 at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and includes an in-person interview and a medical exam.

After You Get Home: File Form I-90

Coming back on a boarding foil solves the flight, not the missing card. The foil is spent after one entry, and you have no permanent proof of status until you replace the card. File Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card, with USCIS once you’re back.⁸ CBP advises filing I-90 immediately after arriving when the card was stolen.³ Without a valid card, you’ll run into problems with employment verification, future travel, and any immigration benefit you try to claim. The I-90 carries its own filing fee on top of what you already spent on the I-131A, so budget for both.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-131A, Application for Carrier Documentation
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Carrier Documentation
3
U.S. Customs and Border Protection. LPR – Lost, Stolen or Expired Green Cards or Has No Expiration Date
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees
5
myUSCIS. Schedule an Appointment
6
U.S. Department of State. 9 FAM 202.2 Lawful Permanent Residents
7
U.S. Department of State. Returning Resident Visas
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-90, Application to Replace Permanent Resident Card