Applicants for Re-entry Permits and Refugee Travel Documents Required to Provide Biometrics

On March 5, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued revised instructions for Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. Effective immediately, applicants for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents who are 14 to 79 years old are required to provide biometrics (fingerprints and/or photographs) before departing the United States. Advance parole applications are not affected by the change. After their submission of Form I-131, USCIS will send applicants an appointment notice to provide biometrics at an Application Support Center.

How This Affects You

A re-entry permit allows a conditional resident or lawful permanent resident to apply for admission to the United States after traveling abroad for up to two years and establishes a presumption that resident status has not been abandoned. Re-entry permits are normally valid for two years from the date of issuance. In addition, individuals who cannot, or do not wish to, obtain a passport from their home country may wish to get a re-entry permit for travel outside the United States.

A refugee travel document is issued to individuals who are or once were refugees or asylees to allow them to return to the United States after travel abroad. Refugee travel documents are normally valid for one year from the date of issuance.

Individuals applying for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents must be physically present in the United States at the time the Form I-131 application is filed and must now remain in the United States until attendance at the biometrics appointment. These individuals should allow sufficient time to provide biometrics when making travel plans.

Morgan Lewis will continue to monitor this process and will update you with any new information. If you have any questions about any of the issues raised in this Morgan Lewis Immigration Alert, please contact:

San Francisco
A. James Vázquez-Azpiri
415.442.1343
ajvazquez@morganlewis.com

Lance Nagel
415.442.1345
lnagel@morganlewis.com

Washington, D.C.
Eleanor Pelta
202.739.5050
epelta@morganlewis.com

Eric S. Bord
202.739.6040
ebord@morganlewis.com

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