You may ask us to expedite adjudication of your Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, by calling the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or by asking Emma. (You can access Emma by clicking on the Ask Emma icon on the top right of this page.)
The processing of an ESTA can take up to 72 hours.
Your actual refugee travel document should be issued within about 2 to 5 months from filing your Form I-131. You may request that the actual document be sent to your U.S. address, your attorneys address (if you choose to work with an attorney), or to a U.S. consulate or embassy abroad.
Quick Answer. From the day your reentry permit application is filed, it takes about 6 weeks for your biometrics appointment, where your digital fingerprints are taken. After your biometrics appointment, your actual reentry permit should be issued within 1 to 3 months. Total processing time: 2 to 5 months on average.
Planning Your Trip. The travel document usually arrives within 150 days (sometimes longer) after submitting your application. You can't leave the country until you have your approved travel document in hand, so you should expect to spend the 3–5 months after submitting your green card application in the United States.
Application Volume: High demand for passports, especially during peak travel seasons or after major events (like the COVID-19 pandemic), can lead to backlogs. Processing Times: Standard processing can take several weeks, and expedited services, while faster, still require time for verification and production.
ESTA is an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). Authorization via ESTA does not determine whether a traveler is admissible to the United States.