ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. The processing of an ESTA can take up to 72 hours. It is also advisable to check the status of an already approved ESTA in advance of traveling to make sure that it is still valid.
If you have a green card, it's not necessary to carry a passport with you for domestic travel within the United States. That said, it's never a bad idea to have plenty of documentation, and if you have a passport, you may wish to keep that with you throughout your domestic travel as well.
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.
If you are outside the U.S. for one year or longer Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue. For conditional permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years after the date of issue.
Who should apply? Canadian citizens with a valid Canadian passport do not need an ESTA. If you are a Canadian permanent resident or have refugee status in Canada, you will either require an ESTA or a visa to visit the USA.
If you wish to return to the United States lawfully after traveling outside the United States, you generally must have a: Valid entry document, such as a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) or nonimmigrant visa; or. Valid and unexpired travel document.
If you are a permanent or conditional permanent resident who has been outside the U.S. for one year or longer, apply for a re-entry permit before you travel. Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue.
The fastest and easiest way to apply for a travel document is as part of the original marriage green card application package you send to USCIS, by including Form I-131 (“Application for Travel Document”) along with the main forms (I-130 and I-485).
As the list indicates, the TSA accepts a variety of forms of documentation for domestic flights. Notably for many foreign nationals, permanent resident cards and employment authorization cards are both acceptable forms of documentation for domestic flights.