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.
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.)
Ing to USCIS data from 2023, the average processing time for Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document) varies between 3 to 7 months, depending on the service center handling the case and the specific category (e.g., refugee travel document, re-entry permit).
If you are a permanent or conditional permanent resident who has been outside the U.S. for one year or longer, apply for a re-entry permit before you travel. Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue.
Other Common Forms FormPurposeProcessing Time I-90 Replace/Renew Green Card 0.8 months I-765 Employment Authorization 2.5 months I-131 (Advance Parole) Travel Document 7.4 months I-131 (Travel Document) Travel Document 13.7 months
Online: Use the case status online tool to check for updates about your immigration case. You will need your 13-character receipt number from your application or petition. By phone: If you are calling from the U.S., contact the USCIS Contact Center at 1-800-375-5283 or TTY 1-800-767-1833.
To ask about emergency processing of a travel document, call the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or request an appointment through My Appointment. If your situation qualifies for emergency processing, we will schedule an appointment for you with a local field office.
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.
In general, you will need to present a passport from your country of citizenship or your refugee travel document to travel to a foreign country. In addition, the foreign country may have additional entry/exit requirements (such as a visa).
If you are a permanent or conditional permanent resident who has been outside the U.S. for one year or longer, apply for a re-entry permit before you travel. Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue.