U.S. Refugee Travel Document: How to Apply, Use, and Renew

A U.S. Refugee Travel Document is a passport substitute issued by USCIS to refugees, asylees, and lawful permanent residents who obtained their green card through refugee or asylee status, so they can travel abroad and return to the United States. You apply on Form I-131 before you leave. Traveling without one when you need one can mean being denied reentry or placed in removal proceedings.¹

Who Needs One

Three groups qualify:

People admitted as refugees under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act who still hold that status.
People granted asylum under section 208 who still hold asylee status.
Lawful permanent residents whose green card came directly from refugee or asylee status.

You generally must be physically present in the United States when you file.² Your underlying status also has to still be valid; USCIS checks for anything that would have terminated it before issuing the document.

One thing to avoid entirely: do not travel on a passport from the country where you feared persecution, even if you still hold one. Using that passport can be treated as voluntarily accepting your home government’s protection, which is a ground for terminating your asylum or refugee status.³ The Refugee Travel Document exists so you don’t have to.

Refugee Travel Document or Reentry Permit

If you’re a permanent resident who got the green card through refugee or asylee channels, either document can work, but the choice depends on your trip. A Refugee Travel Document covers trips shorter than a year. If you expect to be abroad for a year or more, apply for a reentry permit instead. Permanent residents who did not obtain status through refugee or asylee routes use a reentry permit regardless of trip length.¹

How to Apply

File Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records. As of 2026, this form cannot be submitted online for a Refugee Travel Document; you have to file by mail.⁴

Include with the completed form:

Proof of your current status: a copy of Form I-94 or the I-797 approval notice showing refugee or asylee status.
A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license.
Two identical passport-style color photos taken within 30 days of filing, 2 by 2 inches, plain white or off-white background, face centered and fully visible. Head coverings are allowed only for religious reasons.

USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper filings. Pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, or from a U.S. bank account using Form G-1650.⁵ The mailing address depends on whether you use USPS or a private courier, so check the USCIS filing addresses page before sending.⁶

Filing Fees

Under the fee schedule effective April 1, 2024:

Refugees and refugee-based permanent residents pay $0.⁷
Asylees age 16 or older pay $165.
Asylees under age 16 pay $135.⁸

There is no separate biometrics fee. USCIS eliminated the old $85 biometrics charge in April 2024 and rolled it into the application fee.⁸

Asylees who cannot afford the fee can request a waiver by filing Form I-912 with the application. Refugees and asylees are named eligible categories. You generally qualify if you receive means-tested public benefits, your household income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or you can show financial hardship such as a medical emergency or job loss.⁹

What Happens After You File

USCIS will mail you a receipt notice (Form I-797C) with a case number you can track through the online Case Status tool.¹⁰ Most applicants are then scheduled for a biometrics appointment at a local Application Support Center, where staff take fingerprints and a photo. Attend it. Missing biometrics can delay or derail the whole application.

Processing times are long. As of early 2026, waits may exceed a year. Check the current estimate at egov.uscis.gov/processing-times and file well before any trip you’re planning. Because the document cannot be extended, this same lead time applies to replacements.

Emergency and Expedited Requests

If you need to travel urgently — a family emergency, funeral, or medical situation — you can ask USCIS to expedite a pending I-131. The agency decides case by case and considers severe financial loss, humanitarian emergencies, and government interests.¹¹ Submit the request at least 45 days before departure if you can. You can call the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283, use the Ask Emma chat tool, or send a secure message through your USCIS online account. Have supporting evidence ready: a death certificate, a doctor’s letter, an employer letter on company letterhead, or similar. Vacation travel does not qualify.¹²

If you have to leave in under 15 days, USCIS may instead issue an emergency advance parole document. Call the Contact Center to explain. If it qualifies, USCIS schedules an in-person appointment at a field office. Bring a completed and signed Form I-131 with any applicable fee, proof of eligibility, evidence of the emergency, and two passport-style photos.¹²

How Long It Lasts

A Refugee Travel Document is valid for one year from the issue date, or until your refugee or asylee status expires, whichever comes first. It cannot be extended.¹³ To replace one that is about to expire or has already expired, file a fresh I-131. There is no separate renewal form. Given current processing times, file months in advance if you anticipate needing to travel again.

Using the Document Abroad

The Refugee Travel Document is recognized internationally under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol,¹⁴ and most countries treat it much like a national passport for entry and transit. It does not exempt you from visa rules. Some countries allow visa-free entry to holders; others require a visa in advance. Check with the destination country’s embassy or consulate before booking.

When you come back, you present the document to a Customs and Border Protection officer at the port of entry. It doesn’t guarantee admission — you are still inspected — but it establishes your right to seek readmission under your protected status.¹

Traveling to the Country You Fled

This is where people get into the most trouble. Returning to the country where you claimed persecution can lead USCIS to terminate your refugee or asylee status. Federal law allows termination of asylum if you voluntarily returned to your country of nationality and availed yourself of that government’s protection.¹⁵ The reasoning is simple: if you’re willing to go back, the government may conclude you no longer fear persecution there.

USCIS has discretion, and not every trip home automatically triggers termination. But the risk is real and applies even to short visits to see a sick relative. Talk to an immigration attorney before booking anything if you are considering travel to that country. Losing protected status is severe and hard to reverse.

If You Already Left Without One

If you left the United States without applying first, you may still have a narrow path. USCIS can accept an application filed from abroad, but only if all three of these are true:

You did not intend to abandon your refugee or asylee status when you left.
You did not engage in activities abroad inconsistent with your protected status.
You have been outside the United States for less than one year since your last departure.

The application goes to the USCIS office with jurisdiction over the port of entry, pre-flight inspection location, or overseas office where you are physically present.² Acceptance is not automatic; USCIS describes it as an extraordinary measure taken at the agency’s discretion.⁶ Once you have been abroad for more than a year, this option closes.

If the Document Is Lost or Stolen Abroad

Losing your document overseas is an immediate problem because airlines can refuse to board you without valid travel credentials. The fix is Form I-131A, Application for Carrier Documentation, filed in person at the Consular Section of a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. It produces a boarding foil that lets a carrier bring you back to the United States without penalty.¹⁶

Pay the filing fee online before your in-person appointment and bring proof of payment along with evidence of your identity and status. Contact the nearest embassy or consulate as soon as you realize the document is missing, because processing adds days to your timeline. Once you are back in the United States, file a new I-131 to replace the lost document for future travel.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents
2
eCFR. 8 CFR 223.2 – Application and Processing
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 7 Part M Chapter 6 – Termination of Status and Notice to Appear Considerations
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055, Fee Schedule
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-131
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Form G-1055 – Fee Schedule
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912 Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action
11
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expedite Requests
12
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Emergency Travel
13
eCFR. 8 CFR 223.3 – Validity and Effect on Admissibility
14
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees
15
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1158 – Asylum
16
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-131A, Application for Carrier Documentation