Form I-131: Reentry permit for permanent and conditional residents
Reentry permit for green card holders: file Form I-131 before you go
A reentry permit for green card holders covers a stay abroad of a year or more, for up to 2 years. You must be in the United States when you file and attend fingerprints before you leave. We prepare the form and the packet.
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- Up to 2 years of validity
- Fee and address worked out
- Money-back guarantee
Last updated
- $99Preparation price
- Up to 2 yrsPermit validity
- Paper onlyUSCIS takes no online filing
- 100%Money-back guarantee
BEFORE YOU GO
A reentry permit does not stop a long absence from counting against your citizenship application. It protects your green card on a long trip. For N-400 continuous residence, an absence of more than 6 months can still cause trouble. Check your trips with the residence calculator before you plan a long stay.
Do you need one?
Who needs a reentry permit?
The length of your trip and your status decide whether to file Form I-131 now. The free check confirms yours.
- 01
A trip of a year or more
USCIS says a resident who will be outside the United States for one year or more should apply for a reentry permit. While valid, it lets you apply for admission without a returning resident visa.
MOST COMMONCheck if I need one - 02
A trip of less than a year
Your green card is normally enough. A permit is for longer stays, so check your dates before you file.
USUALLY NOT NEEDEDCheck my trip - 03
A 2-year conditional card
Conditional residents can apply too. The permit lasts until the conditional status ends, up to 2 years.
CONDITIONALCheck if I need one - 04
More than 4 of the last 5 years abroad
You can still apply, but the permit is valid for 1 year, not 2. Orders from the U.S. government, work for an international organization, and professional athletes are exceptions.
1-YEAR PERMITCheck if I need one - 05
You already have a valid permit
USCIS will not issue a second one while the first is valid, unless you return it or it was lost, stolen, or destroyed.
ALREADY HAVE ONE - 06
You are already outside the United States
You must be in the United States when you file. From abroad, talk to an immigration attorney about your options before you plan anything.
TOO LATE TO FILE
What you get
A reentry permit package built for a long trip
Your answers decide the validity, the fee, the mailing address, and the document list.
- REQUEST TYPE
The right request on Part 1
Part 1 lists more than 30 requests, and a wrong box can get the form rejected or denied with no refund. We check the reentry permit box for you.
The validity you can expect
Up to 2 years, or 1 year if you spent more than 4 of the last 5 years abroad. A conditional resident gets a permit that ends with the conditional status.
Delivery abroad, when you ask
You can say on the form where USCIS should send the permit. Your instructions explain how that fits with your fingerprint appointment.
A trip check for citizenship
We point you to the N-400 residence calculator, so you see how a long absence counts before you commit to your dates.
How it works
Apply for your reentry permit in four steps
Your answers save as you go.
Answer a few questions
Tell us your status and how long you plan to be away. We tell you at once if you do not need a permit.
Complete Form I-131
Work through the form in plain English. We fill in the request type and the details USCIS asks for.
Mail the packet
Print, sign, and mail it. A reentry permit is paper only. You must be inside the United States when USCIS receives it.
Attend your fingerprints
USCIS schedules biometrics. Plan your departure for after the appointment.
Compare your options
Three ways to file Form I-131
Compare the form, the request type, the fee and address, and the price.
Swipe to compare all three
| Feature | Do it yourself | Immiva | Traditional immigration attorney |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay to prepare it | Free | $99 | Varies by firm |
| Form I-131 | YesThe blank 14-page USCIS form | YesFilled from your answers | YesPrepared for you |
| Request type on Part 1 | NoYou choose from 30+ boxes | YesPicked from your answers | YesPicked for you |
| USCIS fee and address | NoYou work them out from the USCIS charts | YesSet for your request and status | YesSet for you |
| Document list | NoThe 30-page instructions | YesBuilt for your request | YesTailored to your filing |
| Preparation price | YesFree | Yes$99 after you see your forms | Varies by firm |
Your Form I-131 application
Form I-131 for your request, your document list, and mailing instructions.
$99The USCIS filing fee is separate and paid to the government.
Covered by a money-back guarantee. Read the guarantee terms
Common questions
Reentry permit questions, answered
Who needs one, how long it lasts, and what it does not do.
Only for a long stay. USCIS says permanent and conditional residents should apply for one if they will be outside the United States for one year or more. For a shorter trip your green card is normally enough.
You file Form I-131 and ask for a reentry permit. You must be physically in the United States when you file, and you attend a fingerprint appointment before you leave.
Up to 2 years. If you spent more than 4 of the last 5 years abroad, it is valid for 1 year. A conditional resident gets a permit that lasts until the conditional status ends, up to 2 years. It cannot be extended.
It depends on the office and changes often. Check the current USCIS processing times, and file well before your trip, because you cannot leave until the fingerprint appointment is done. USCIS processing times
Yes. You file from inside the United States, and USCIS also expects you to attend biometrics there. Filing from abroad does not work for this request.
Form I-131 lets you ask USCIS to send the permit to a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Your Immiva instructions explain how to answer that question for your trip.
No. It protects your green card on a long trip, but a long absence can still break continuous residence for the N-400. An absence of more than 6 months raises the issue. Run your trips through the residence calculator. Open the residence calculator
Form I-90 does not work from abroad. If you still hold your valid reentry permit, you travel on it. Form I-131A covers a green card lost on a trip of less than 1 year, or a reentry permit lost on a trip of less than 2 years. Immiva does not prepare Form I-131A. Read about a lost green card
Immiva's preparation fee is $99, paid after you see your completed forms. The USCIS fee is separate.
Guides
Read this before you travel
Choosing a travel document, travel with a pending I-485, and what a green card costs.
- Form I-131 explainedChoose the right travel document for your status.Travel documents
- Work permit and travel permit with your I-485How the I-765 and I-131 fit around a pending green card application.Work and travel
- Green card cost calculatorEvery USCIS fee in a green card case, advance parole included.Calculator
Related applications
Other applications for green card holders
The full I-131 page, a lost card, citizenship, and renewal.