A reentry permit application is filed on Form I-131 with a $630 fee while you are physically inside the United States, and once approved it lets a green card holder stay abroad for up to two years without the trip being treated as abandonment of permanent residence. The permit does not guarantee admission when you come back, but it is the strongest evidence you can carry that you always meant to keep the U.S. as your permanent home.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents
Who Qualifies
Two groups can apply: lawful permanent residents and conditional permanent residents (the two-year green card issued through marriage or investment). Both must be physically present in the United States on the day the application is filed. USCIS will deny an application signed and sent from abroad.2eCFR. 8 CFR 223.2 – Application and Processing
That physical-presence rule catches people who realize the need for a permit only after they have already left. If that is your situation, you have to fly back to U.S. soil before you can file.
One boundary worth naming up front: refugees and asylees who do not yet hold a green card use Form I-131 for a different document, the Refugee Travel Document, not a reentry permit. Some green card holders whose status came through asylum or refugee protection may also need the travel document instead of, or in addition to, a reentry permit depending on their situation.1U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents
What to File
The form is I-131, Application for Travel Document, available on the USCIS website. You provide your A-Number from your green card, planned departure dates, how long you expect to be outside the country, and the reason for the trip.
Send the following with the completed form:
- A clear copy of the front and back of your green card (Form I-551). If your card has not been issued yet, a copy of the passport biographical page with the I-551 stamp or a temporary evidence sticker works.
- A copy of a valid government-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license.
- Two identical passport-style photos meeting USCIS specifications, unless you expect to complete biometrics before you leave the country.
Every copy has to be legible. Blurry or cut-off images of your green card or ID are among the most common triggers for a Request for Evidence, which can add weeks or months to the timeline.
Fee and Payment Method
The filing fee is $630. Since April 2024, biometric services are bundled into that amount, so there is no separate biometrics fee for reentry permit filers.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
How you pay has also changed. USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper-filed forms unless a specific exemption applies. Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or by direct bank transfer using Form G-1650.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees If the payment method is wrong, the whole package comes back unopened.
Where to Send It
Reentry permit applications are mailed. USCIS does not currently offer online filing for this category of Form I-131.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
Mail the form, supporting documents, and payment authorization to the USCIS Lockbox that serves your state. The correct address depends on where you live and whether you are using the postal service or a private courier, and USCIS keeps the current list on its direct filing addresses page for Form I-131.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-131 Confirm the address the day you mail. A package sent to the wrong Lockbox is returned without being filed.
What Happens After You File
Receipt Notice
Once the Lockbox accepts your filing, USCIS mails a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, with a receipt number you can use to check case status through the USCIS online portal.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Hold on to it. It is your only proof the application is pending.
Biometrics
Applicants aged 14 through 79 are usually scheduled for a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center, where USCIS collects fingerprints, a photo, and a signature. You need to complete this step before leaving the country. Missing the appointment can lead to a denial.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Form I-131
Processing Time and Where the Permit Is Sent
Processing times shift with service-center workload and can range from several months to over a year. Check the USCIS processing times page for current estimates. File well ahead of your planned departure, not the week before your flight.
You choose at filing whether the physical permit goes to a U.S. address or to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad. If you must leave the country soon after biometrics, consular delivery lets you pick the permit up overseas.
How Long the Permit Lasts
For a lawful permanent resident, the permit is generally valid for two years from the date of issuance.9eCFR. 8 CFR 223.3 – Validity and Effect on Applications for Admission There is no extension or renewal. When it expires, you file a new Form I-131 from scratch, again while physically in the United States.
Conditional permanent residents get a tighter window. The permit expires either two years from issuance or on the date they are required to file Form I-751 to remove the conditions on residence, whichever comes first.9eCFR. 8 CFR 223.3 – Validity and Effect on Applications for Admission Missing the I-751 window can cost you your status entirely, so map the dates before you go.
USCIS may also issue a one-year permit instead of two if you have spent more than four of the last five years outside the United States. The shorter validity is designed to prevent back-to-back permits from being used to live abroad indefinitely on a green card.
What a Reentry Permit Does Not Do
A reentry permit protects your green card. It does not protect your path to U.S. citizenship. Naturalization has its own continuous-residence and physical-presence rules, and the permit does not satisfy either.
An absence of six months or more but less than a year creates a rebuttable presumption that you broke continuous residence for naturalization. You can rebut it with evidence such as keeping a U.S. job, leaving family behind, or maintaining a home here, but the burden is on you.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 3 – Continuous Residence An absence of one year or more breaks continuous residence outright, and the clock starts over when you return.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1427 – Requirements of Naturalization
If long-term overseas employment is the reason for the trip, Form N-470 preserves residence for naturalization in narrow qualifying situations, but it requires one uninterrupted year of U.S. residence after getting your green card and it only applies to specific government, corporate, or religious employment abroad. Even with N-470 approved, you still need a reentry permit for absences of a year or more.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application to Preserve Residence for Naturalization Purposes
Asking USCIS to Expedite
Expedited processing is available in limited circumstances and is fully at USCIS discretion. A tight travel date or a vacation does not qualify. The agency looks for genuine emergencies: a family member’s serious illness or death, urgent medical treatment only available abroad, or a pressing professional or academic commitment that arose unexpectedly.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expedite Requests
Support the request with real documentation, such as a hospital letter, an employer letter on company letterhead, or a death certificate. USCIS also expects that you filed on time and responded promptly to any requests for evidence. Waiting until the last minute and then claiming urgency generally does not help.
If the Application Is Denied
A denied application can be appealed or challenged through Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, with an $800 filing fee.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. When to Use Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion You can appeal to a higher authority, or file a motion to reopen or reconsider with the same office based on new evidence or a legal error.
The most common denial reasons are filing while outside the United States and failing to appear for biometrics. Both are procedural rather than judgment calls, and neither is easily fixed on appeal. When the underlying problem is something you can correct, refiling from scratch is often faster than the appeal process.
If the Permit Expires While You Are Overseas
Staying abroad past the permit’s expiration puts your green card at serious risk. The main recovery route is a Returning Resident Visa, known as an SB-1, at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Contact the embassy at least three months before you plan to travel back if you can.15USEmbassy.gov. SB Visa – Wizard Results
The SB-1 uses Form DS-117 and requires an in-person interview. You have to show that you had permanent resident status when you left, that you always intended to return, and that circumstances beyond your control kept you abroad. Evidence includes your expired green card or reentry permit, U.S. tax returns, proof of property or family ties in the United States, and documentation of what prevented an earlier return, such as medical records or employment contracts.16U.S. Department of State. Returning Resident Visas
The “circumstances beyond your control” standard is hard to meet. Consular officers have wide discretion, and losing track of time or having ongoing family matters abroad usually is not enough. Approval still leaves you with an immigrant visa interview, medical exam, and additional fees. The SB-1 is a last resort. Filing the reentry permit application before you leave is the better path.