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).
No. You cannot file a Form I-131 to obtain a reentry permit unless you are physically present in the United States when you file the form.
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.
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.)
USCIS P.O. Box 660167 Dallas, TX 75266 For U.S. Postal Service: If you are filing Form I-131 by itself, based on a pending or approved Form I-821, file your Form I-131 with the USCIS Dallas Lockbox facility.
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'll need to fill out an unaccompanied minor form and any necessary Customs and Immigration documents for the day of departure. This form must remain with your child during their journey. At check-in, parents / guardians will also need to provide: A birth certificate or passport as proof of the child's age.
If your child is traveling alone, with only one parent, or with a non-legal guardian, they will require a Child Travel Consent signed by both parents or legal guardians. A Child Travel Consent is sometimes called a letter of permission to travel.
The letter should say: "I acknowledge that my child is traveling outside the country with the name of the adult with my permission." A parent who frequently crosses the border by land with a minor should always carry a letter of permission from the other parent.