Form I-131: Refugee travel document for refugees and asylees
Refugee travel document in the US: apply on Form I-131 before you leave
A refugee travel document lets a refugee, an asylee, or a green card holder who got status that way return to the United States after a trip. The booklet is called Form I-571, and you ask for it on Form I-131. Apply and attend biometrics before you leave.
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- Valid for 1 year
- Filing address worked out
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- $99Preparation price
- 1 yearDocument validity
- Paper onlyUSCIS takes no online filing
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BEFORE YOU BOOK
For asylees, a trip to the country you fled can end asylum. For refugees, it can lead USCIS to question whether you were a refugee. USCIS warns that an asylee who voluntarily uses the protection of that country can lose asylum status. If your plans include that country, talk to an immigration attorney before you file or travel.
Who can apply
Who can get a refugee travel document?
Your status decides whether this is the right document. The free check confirms yours.
- 01
You are a refugee
You are in valid refugee status in the United States and have not become a green card holder. You need this document to return from a trip.
REFUGEECheck if I qualify - 02
You are an asylee
Asylum was granted to you, and you are not a green card holder yet. A derivative asylee also needs one.
ASYLEECheck if I qualify - 03
A green card holder from refugee or asylee status
You can still ask for a refugee travel document. For a trip of a year or more, compare it with a reentry permit before you choose.
GREEN CARD HOLDERCheck if I qualify - 04
Your asylum case is still pending
A refugee travel document needs granted status. A pending applicant asks for advance parole instead, on the same form, and should get legal advice first.
PENDING ASYLUM - 05
You already left the United States
USCIS may accept the request from abroad, in its discretion, within 1 year of your last departure. Explain why you did not apply first, and talk to an attorney.
ABROAD - 06
You already have a valid document
USCIS will not issue a second one while the first is valid, unless you return it or can show it was lost or destroyed.
ALREADY HAVE ONE
What you get
What your refugee travel document package includes
Your answers decide the request type, the filing 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 refugee travel document box for you.
Part 6, the travel questions
The form asks about your country of refuge and whether you plan to go there. We explain each question in plain English, so you answer truthfully and see the risk before you file.
The correct filing location
USCIS sends refugee travel document requests to specific addresses, and a misfiled one is delayed or denied. Your instructions name the right one.
A trip check for citizenship
If you plan to naturalize, we point you to the N-400 residence calculator so you see how a long absence counts.
How it works
Apply for your refugee travel document in four steps
Your answers save as you go.
Answer a few questions
Tell us your status, where you are, and whether you will visit the country you fled. We tell you at once if this is not the document you need.
Complete Form I-131
Work through the form in plain English, including Part 6. We fill in the request type and the details USCIS asks for.
Mail the packet
Print, sign, and mail it to the address in your instructions. A refugee travel document is paper only.
Attend your biometrics
USCIS schedules an appointment. If you leave before it, USCIS may deny the request, so book your trip after it.
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.
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Common questions
Refugee travel document questions, answered
Who qualifies, how long it lasts, and what to avoid.
USCIS issues them to people with refugee or asylum status and to green card holders who got their card through refugee or asylee status. A refugee or asylee who is not yet a green card holder, and a derivative asylee, needs one to return to the United States.
Form I-571 is the name of the travel document booklet USCIS issues. You do not file it. You apply on Form I-131 and choose the refugee travel document request in Part 1.
You file Form I-131 on paper with the fee, photos, and proof of your status. Apply before you leave the United States, and attend your biometrics appointment before you go. From abroad, USCIS may accept it in its discretion within 1 year of your last departure, so ask an attorney first. USCIS does not take this request online.
One year, and the validity date cannot be extended. For a later trip you apply again, so there is no renewal on the same document.
You cannot extend one. When it expires, file a new Form I-131 before your next trip. USCIS will not issue a second document while the first is valid, unless you return it or show it was lost or destroyed.
It is risky. USCIS warns that an asylee who voluntarily uses the protection of the country of persecution can lose asylum status. Form I-131 asks whether you plan to go there. Talk to an immigration attorney before you file or travel.
You can ask for either one. A refugee travel document is valid for 1 year. A reentry permit can last up to 2 years, and USCIS advises residents who will be abroad for a year or more to apply for one. Compare the two before you choose. Read about the reentry permit
It can. A long absence can break continuous residence for the N-400. Run your trips through the residence calculator before you plan a long stay. Open the residence calculator
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 refugees and asylees
The full I-131 page, the reentry permit, and the asylee green card.