Lost Green Card Abroad and Returning to the U.S.

A misplaced inexperienced card overseas could be a journey headache. You could have legitimate proof of your everlasting resident standing to board an airline or different transportation service. However if you happen to’ve misplaced your inexperienced card or reentry allow whereas exterior the USA, there’s a course of to acquire short-term journey documentation.

U.S. legal guidelines require transportation carriers reminiscent of airways to examine passengers for passports and visa earlier than bringing them to the USA. In truth, these legal guidelines impose penalties if passengers usually are not in possession of the required paperwork.

As a everlasting resident touring abroad quickly, you’ll be able to usually use your everlasting resident card (inexperienced card) or reentry allow to reenter the USA. You should utilize both doc to board a transportation service and return to a U.S. port of entry. However you’ll almost certainly expertise issues if you happen to try and return to the usafter the journey doc is misplaced, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.

Type for Misplaced Inexperienced Card Overseas

Everlasting residents who’ve misplaced a inexperienced card or reentry allow whereas touring overseas should file Type I-131A, Software for Journey Doc (Provider Documentation). U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Companies (USCIS) publishes the shape, however you’ll have to submit it at a U.S. embassy. The shape permits everlasting residents to use for a brief journey doc (service documentation) in the event that they:

• Are getting back from short-term abroad journey of lower than one 12 months, and their inexperienced card has been misplaced, stolen or destroyed; or
• Are getting back from short-term abroad journey of lower than two years, and their reentry allow has been misplaced, stolen or destroyed.

Type I-131A, Software for Journey Doc (Provider Documentation), permits people on this state of affairs to use for a journey doc. The journey doc could also be a foil positioned within the applicant’s passport (referred to as a boarding foil) or a transportation letter. Passengers can current the journey doc to the transportation service. It’s usually legitimate for 30 days.

Expired Inexperienced Card Overseas

When you’ve got an expired inexperienced card, you probably don’t have to file Type I-131A. Customs and Border Safety (CBP) coverage permits a transportation service certain for the USA to board a everlasting resident with out service documentation if the passenger has:

• An expired inexperienced card with a 10-year expiration date; or
• An expired inexperienced card with a 2-year expiration date AND a Type I-797C, Discover of Motion, exhibiting that they’ve filed a Type I-751 or Type I-829 to take away the circumstances on their everlasting resident standing. The Discover of Motion extends the validity of the cardboard for a specified size of time, usually 24 months.

When you’ve got an expired inexperienced card (with a 10-year expiration date) or a inexperienced card (with a two-year expiration date) and legitimate Type I-797C, Discover of Motion, indicating that standing is prolonged, it’s possible you’ll use these paperwork to return to the USA generally. Nonetheless, USCIS encourages you to examine together with your airline or vessel earlier than figuring out whether or not to file Type I-131A. In some instances, regardless of the CBP waiver, a transportation service could select to implement the requirement.

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Type I-131A Submitting Payment

Earlier than submitting an software for the service documentation, you have to pay the Type I-131A submitting payment on the USCIS web site. Pay the submitting through the USCIS online filing system. It’s also possible to attain the USCIS on-line submitting system by going to:

1. www.uscis.gov/i-131a
2. Click on the Submitting Payment tab
3. Click on the hyperlink to the net cost system

You (or anybody on this planet) will pay the payment through bank card, debit card or a U.S. checking account through the Automated Clearing Home (ACH) cost system. Entry the USCIS on-line cost system from nearly any desktop or cellular gadget.

You will have proof of cost when submitting your software. Upon making cost, you may be offered with a affirmation web page. Print this web page instantly; you will be unable to return to the affirmation web page. You also needs to obtain an electronic mail together with your cost affirmation. Print both the affirmation web page or affirmation electronic mail.

Submitting Type I-131A

In contrast to most different USCIS types, you have to file Type I-131A at a U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate. There isn’t a motive to file Type I-131A, nor can it’s filed, from inside the USA. First, we advocate that you just contact the workplace to see if an appointment is important. Find the nearest U.S. embassy or consular office.

CitizenPath Ensures Your I-131A Will Be Accredited
While you put together your I-131A on CitizenPath, we offer easy, step-by-step directions and alerts that can assist you keep away from expensive delays. It was designed by immigration attorneys, so we assure USCIS will approve your kind. No bank card is required to strive it.

Required Proof for Type I-131A

While you seem on the U.S. embassy or consulate, you’ll submit a number of gadgets of required proof together with your software. Your full Type I-131A software bundle ought to usually embody the next gadgets:

• Type I-131A with an authentic signature
• Your authentic passport and one copy of your passport’s biographic web page. (USCIS could have to preserve the unique passport for a couple of days, however they may return it upon completion.)
• A duplicate of your tickets, itinerary, or some other proof indicating your final date of departure from the USA and your supposed date of return journey to the U.S. Examples of acceptable proof embody e-tickets and boarding passes.
• One passport-style colour {photograph} (2″ x 2″) of your self taken inside 30 days of submitting this software.
• Proof that you’ve paid the Type I-131A submitting payment. Examples of acceptable paperwork embody: printed cost affirmation web page from the USCIS web site or a printed copy of the e-mail confirming cost of Type I-131A.
• Proof of your Lawful Everlasting Residence or Conditional Residence (if obtainable). Examples of acceptable paperwork embody: a replica of your inexperienced card, your immigrant visa, I-551 stamp in your passport, or CBP admission stamp in your passport. Once more, submit this proof whether it is obtainable.

The embassy or consulate will usually challenge the service documentation inside two weeks. In case your journey wants are extra pressing, attend your embassy assembly with proof in hand. Examples of proof could also be a health care provider’s be aware indicating that your relative is unwell in the USA or a letter from an employer indicating your mandatory attendance at a enterprise perform. USCIS will evaluation these conditions on a case-by-case standing and will expedite your case at their discretion.

Reentry to the USA

The service documentation offered via an accepted Type I-131A software will allow you to show to a transportation service solely that you’re approved to journey to a United States port of entry to use for admission to the USA. Be suggested, it’s not a assure of admission or parole into the USA. A CBP officer will conduct all required inspections once you arrive at a U.S. port of entry and can make the ultimate dedication of whether or not to confess or parole you to the USA.

Changing Your Misplaced Inexperienced Card Overseas

Submitting a Type I-131A doesn’t offer you a brand new inexperienced card. Upon returning to the USA, you have to substitute your inexperienced card by submitting Type I-90, Software to Substitute Everlasting Resident Card, and pay the submitting payment. Likewise, in case your inexperienced card is expired, you’ll have to file the identical software to resume your inexperienced card.

Changing Your Reentry Allow

Usually, it’s not mandatory to interchange your reentry allow except you intend to depart the USA for an additional journey of 1 12 months (however lower than two years). To interchange a misplaced, stolen, destroyed, or mutilated reentry allow, file Type I-131, Software for Journey Doc, and pay the submitting payment.

Different Issues

When you’ve got a toddler who was born exterior the USA and is coming to the U.S. for the primary time, you seemingly have to request service documentation if the next three circumstances are true:

• You’re a everlasting resident or have an immigrant visa;
• Your baby is beneath 2 years previous; and
• Your baby is touring with you to come back to the USA for the primary time.

Examine together with your airline or transportation service first to make sure they may board your baby in these circumstances with out documentation. If the airline or transportation service refuses to board your baby with out service documentation, you have to to pay for and submit a separate Type I-131A to your baby.

As at all times, don’t file Type I-131A in case you have ever deserted your everlasting resident standing, have an arrest historical past, or have been in any kind of removing or deportation proceedings. Your state of affairs requires extra consideration from an skilled immigration legal professional.

Upon figuring out that you’ve a misplaced inexperienced card overseas and an supposed return date to the U.S., it’s necessary to arrange and file the Type I-131A software in a well timed method. It should take roughly two weeks to obtain the service documentation, and the documentation will usually be legitimate for a interval of 30 days.

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About CitizenPath

CitizenPath makes getting ready Type I-131A simple. Our on-line service will information you thru the appliance in just some minutes.

Our on-line service supplies easy, inexpensive, step-by-step steerage via USCIS immigration functions. People, attorneys and non-profits use the service on desktop or cellular gadget to arrange immigration types precisely, avoiding expensive delays. CitizenPath permits customers to strive the service without cost and supplies a 100% money-back assure that USCIS will approve the appliance. Along with your short-term service documentation, we offer assist for Inexperienced Card Alternative (Type I-90), Reentry Allow Alternative (Type I-131), and several other different common types.