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Planning to be outside the United States for a year or more? A reentry permit preserves your permanent resident status and proves you never intended to abandon it. Alo Legal prepares and files your Form I-131 correctly, the first time.
A reentry permit is a travel document issued by USCIS to lawful permanent residents (green card holders) and conditional permanent residents who need to remain outside the United States for an extended period. It lets you re-enter the U.S. after a long absence without a returning-resident visa, and it serves as proof to immigration officers that you did not intend to give up your residency. For green card holders who also cannot obtain a passport from their home country, it can function as a travel document in its place.
An absence of one year or more can trigger a presumption that you abandoned your residency. A reentry permit rebuts that presumption and helps safeguard your green card.
You can return to the U.S. after a long trip without applying for a returning-resident (SB-1) visa at a consulate abroad.
If you cannot get or use a passport from your country of citizenship, a reentry permit can serve as your travel document.
You may apply for a reentry permit if you are a lawful permanent resident or conditional permanent resident who will be outside the United States for an extended time. It is strongly recommended for absences of one year or more, and it can also be valuable for trips of six months to a year to avoid questions about abandonment. You must be physically present in the U.S. when you file and when you attend your biometrics appointment.
The application (Form I-131, Application for Travel Document) must be filed while you are physically present in the United States — you cannot apply from abroad.
Your biometrics (fingerprint) appointment must be completed inside the U.S., but the timing is flexible: you can leave the country after you file and return for your biometrics appointment, or wait until after your biometrics appointment and then depart. Either way, USCIS keeps processing your application while you are abroad.
USCIS can mail the approved permit to a U.S. address or, in many cases, to a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad for pickup while you are traveling.
USCIS charges a government filing fee for Form I-131 (plus a biometrics fee where applicable). Fees change periodically, so we confirm the current amounts with you before filing. A reentry permit does not guarantee admission — a CBP officer still inspects you on return — and it does not preserve continuous residence for naturalization on its own; we can advise on Form N-470 if that applies to you.
These are different documents for different situations — people often confuse them.
Not strictly, but it is often wise. Absences approaching or exceeding six months can raise abandonment questions at the border, and a reentry permit provides strong evidence that you intended to keep your U.S. residency.
No — you must be physically present in the U.S. to file Form I-131 and complete biometrics. Between those steps timing is flexible: you can leave after filing and return for biometrics, or wait for biometrics and then travel.
Generally up to two years from the date it is issued. It cannot be renewed or extended — you must apply for a new one from within the U.S.
No document guarantees admission. A Customs and Border Protection officer still inspects you at the port of entry, but a valid reentry permit strongly supports your continued permanent resident status.
Not by itself. Long absences can break the “continuous residence” required for naturalization. If you plan an extended trip, ask us about Form N-470 to help preserve your naturalization eligibility.
Timing matters — you must file and complete biometrics before you leave. Speak with Alo Legal today about your reentry permit.
